My Favorite Loser
by Keiko Oda
Summary: What would you do if you win a trip to Tokyo to meet your celebrity crush and have a guest appearance in your favorite sitcom? Better yet, have them fall in love with you! Things dont turn out as planned all the time. MxN, RxH
1. Prologue

**Author's Note 10/30/2006: **A new story. The plot has popped into my head today and I couldn't help write it. I hope you like it. The pairings are **_Natsumikan _**and **_Hotaruka. _**Enjoy!

**Disclaimer: **I sadly do not own Gakuen Alice… sigh…

XXX

**My Favorite Loser**

XXX

**P**R**O**L**O**G**U**E

_Mikan's POV_

"It's on!" I yelled from my living room. My friends Anna, Nonoko, Hotaru (my bestest friend) and Sumire hopped on the sofa that was in front of the television with a big bowl of popcorn and a pitcher of orange juice.

Today was Thursday. Thursday was my most favorite day of the week since it's the day when they show my favorite sitcom, **"My Favorite Loser"**. It's about two best friends who live together, battling to obstacles of life…and love. The way I explain it, it doesn't actually sound interesting but it really is… plus I have a SUPER HUGE crush on Ruka Nogi, who plays the nicer and cuter friend named Fukachi. HE'S SO HOT!!!!

I have thousands of posters of Ruka on my bedroom wall, millions of icons, wallpapers, pictures and screenshots on my desktop, a gigantic collage of him in my dresser, I memorized his profile, his trademark quotes and have a replica of his favorite jacket. Yes, I'm obsessed but it's not my fault that he's so hot.

My friends Nonoko, Anna and Sumire don't think Ruka is that hot. They say they prefer Natsume Hyuuga who plays the sarcastic, vain and obnoxious friend named Taichii Hagane. They formed a 'Natsume Hyuuga' fan club in school and have a scrapbook of him that they pass around each other writing how hot and great he is. For me, he's just some lame guy. I hate him. According to tabloids, he is so unfriendly that he won't even sign autographs!!!

My bestest friend Hotaru doesn't care for any of the guys in My Favorite Loser. She's just in for the food that we prepare during Thursdays. She doesn't join in any fan discussions in the internet, she doesn't have any posters or icons or collages. She says the only reason why she watches the idiotic show with us is because the popcorn Anna makes is good. I'm surprised because the average fifteen year old would be crazy about a celebrity. Guess I was mistaken.

After the theme song played, the show started. Ruka was the first one to enter. He was wearing a tuxedo. Oh God, he was so hot. The setting was in a restaurant and this girl who was guest starring named Miho came in, she was wearing a dazzling red gown. I think they were in some formal dinner party.

I prepared my tape recorder so I can record every word my darling Ruka says.

I'll skip the details.

The episode was mainly about Ruka or Fukachi going on a date with Miho. He realizes that Miho is some self-centered brat so he dumped her. Natsume or Taichii gets fired from his job in the advertising department since he kept on being unfriendly to people. I would get extremely annoyed when my friends would swoon when Natsume would talk or come into view. He pisses me off.

At the end of the show, I turned off my tape recorder and held it against my chest. "Oh Ruka, if only I could meet you someday"

"Ruka's not at all hot!! I don't like his blond hair!! Natsume is MUCH HOTTER!!"

Yeah, we always have this argument after the show but then we pause if "My Favorite Loser" is holding any contests or giving away freebies. Then we would resume our fight. Today, it was much more exciting.

"_Are you a fan of My Favorite Loser? Here's your chance to meet the cast AND land a guest appearance on the show!! One lucky winner will win an all-expense-paid trip to Tokyo, stay in the finest hotels for two weeks and meet Ruka Nogi and Natsume Hyuuga! Send your name, age and telephone number to did you hear that? _

After my friends left, I dumped the popcorn bowl and pitcher in my kitchen sink and ran to the computer. I logged in to my email and pressed 'compose'. Oh God, I pray that I win this contest!! I've been praying for this moment to meet my beloved Ruka…not Natsume. Yuck.

**SEND TO: ****Meet the Cast Contest**

Name: Mikan Sakura

Age: 15

Telephone Number: 842-22-34

I pressed 'SEND' and closed my eyes. If I won this contest, I won't have any regrets in life. I immediately received an email from Tokyo Media. It read:

**Thank you, Ms. Mikan Sakura for your entry! Please listen to the radio station 99.6 AM at tomorrow noon for the announcement of the winner. If you win, you may bring a friend. Consolation prizes will be given in Tokyo Media Industries. **

**Thank you and good day,**

**Tokyo Media **

I logged out of my email and ran to my bedroom. I lay down on my Ruka blanket and kissed his wonderful face. He's so hot even in cotton. I stared at my 'Ruka' alarm clock and stared at the numbers. If only time will go faster…

XXX

The next day at lunch, Sumire brought a portable radio to school. "Did you join the contest? They said you can bring a friend. Hopefully, I'll win and I'll bring…hmmm… Hotaru. Maybe this contest will make you realize that Natsume is hot"

"If I win, I'm going to bring Nonoko" said Anna, and Nonoko said the same.

"If I win, I'm going to bring Hotaru – because you're my bestest friend!!" I said, opening my arms for a hug.

"Oh shut up, I don't even want to go. I'm not even a fan of that dumb sitcom"

Sumire opened the radio and put it to 99.6 AM. We listened intently. After a shampoo, lotion and potato chip commercial… the announcement of the winner came. Oooohhh… God, I hope this will be the best day of my life. If not, I'm going throw away my Ruka collection…well… maybe I won't…nah…I'm just exaggerating.

"_Hello everyone!! I'm sure you've been waiting… I'm sure the suspense of who the winner will be for the Meet the Cast Contest of Japan's most popular sitcom, My Favorite Loser. We'd like to thank our sponsors…"_

"Skip the stupid sponsors, announcer-person!!" I said, hitting the radio.

"Don't hit it. It might blur the frequency and we might not hear the winner" Sumire snapped.

"…_and Delicious Noodles Industries. Thank you very much! Yes, hearing the sponsors is a drag so we'll skip to the name of the winner. Drum roll please…. Dun dun dun dun… yes, more than a million people have sent entries… all over Japan and we raffled them all…and the winner is…dun dun dun dun…" _

I crossed my fingers and bit my lip. The drum rolls were putting more suspense. I clenched my fists. The thought of Ruka's angelic face made me melt inwardly…if only…I was the one to be called in the radio…

"_MIKAN….MIKAN SAKURA!!!!!" the announcer yelled. _Was that my name? Was it? I screamed and jumped on the table. I kicked off my school bag and my lunch tray. Who cares if my fried chicken fell off? Who cares if my apple juice fell? I WAS THE WINNER!! I WAS THE WINNER!!!!!**_ I'M GOING TO MEET RUKA!! I'M GOING TO MEET RUKA!!!! I'M GOING TO MEET RUKA!!!!!! _**

XXX

"Just don't forget to get autographs of Natsume for us…we don't care what the tabloids say that he's a non-autograph signer but you're already lucky enough to meet your crush Ruka. So here…" Sumire said, giving me the scrapbook of the 'Natsume Hyuuga Fan Club' when we were in the airport.

"Yeah. And if you can sneak out a towel, a toothbrush – or whatever personal belongings Natsume has… then please get us some!" Nonoko said, giving me a small bag where I can put his belongings. "But they might arrest me" I protested. "No, they understand desperate fans"

"And also, please give this to Natsume" Anna said, handing me a lunch box. It was filled with freshly cooked tempura, a salad and Natsume's favorite pudding.

"What if he throws it back at me?"

"Just try, okay?"

"Yeah sure!" I said, hugging the three of them as we entered the airport. "Good bye, guys!! I'm going to miss you!!"

"Don't forget!!" the yelled back, as the crowd pushed in front of them. "We're gonna kill you if you won't do the things we told you!!" and their voices disappeared as a crowd stampeded.

"Thanks for coming, Hotaru"

"Oh please. I'm just coming so I can take embarrassing photographs of the cast and sell them on Ebay or in anyway I can. I'm in for the profit"

"Yeah, whatever" I said.

XXX

The flight took off and I stared at the disappearing province of Akita. It would only take thirty minutes or so to get to Tokyo. I'm going to the big city, the capital of Japan.

I'm going to Tokyo Media Industries.

I'm going to meet…Ruka!!!!

XXX

**End of Prologue. **


	2. Arrival in Tokyo!

"_MIKAN….MIKAN SAKURA!!!!!" the announcer yelled. _Was that my name? Was it? I screamed and jumped on the table. I kicked off my school bag and my lunch tray. Who cares if my fried chicken fell off? Who cares if my apple juice fell? I WAS THE WINNER!! I WAS THE WINNER!!!!!**_ I'M GOING TO MEET RUKA!! I'M GOING TO MEET RUKA!!!! I'M GOING TO MEET RUKA!!!!!! _**

XXX

**Chapter Two: Arrival in Tokyo**

XXX

We arrived in Tokyo during lunch time. Being in the big city was thrilling, taxis and flashy sports cars sped through the highways, gigantic buildings with glass elevators, business men and woman bustling through the big city crowd, huge "TV screens" on walls advertising different products, and department stores with expensive perfume and posh jewelry displayed on the show windows… it was like a dream come true.

Hotaru and I exited the airport to find who'll be picking us up. A lot of chauffeurs stood near the entrance holding pieces of paper that had different names written on it. We looked like clueless small town girls.

"Mikan Sakura?" a man wearing dark shades and a suit came up to us. He looked like a bodyguard. This was SO COOL!!! Are we going to get VIP treatment or something???

"Are you the bodyguard of the stars of My Favorite Loser?" Hotaru questioned, taking out her camera from her backpack.

"Chauffeur" he replied.

She quickly snapped away. "What are you doing?" he snapped.

"Taking photographs of you. My idiot friends would die to see photos of Natsume Hyuuga's chauffeur" Hotaru responded, rolling her eyes.

The chauffeur took us to the parking lot, we saw a long, white stretch limo. My eyes gleamed at the thought of sitting down where Ruka would be sitting down. I smiled as he opened the door for us. We both entered and I squealed as I saw what was before me.

A stereo system, a mini television with a DVD player and plenty of DVDs of 'My Favorite Loser' including hidden episodes!! But I already saw those hidden episodes on the internet and read summaries in chat forums. There was a mahogany coffee table in the middle of the limo with a pitcher of iced tea and tiny glasses. There was also a bottle of champagne (but my grandpa forbids me to drink champagne, since I'm 'underage')

There was a red jacket on the floor. It was an Armani. "Who owns this?" I asked, taking the jacket.

"Oh? That's Mr. Ruka Nogi's. He left it there – he wore it in last week's premiere. I guess he forgot to take it back with him. I'll return it to him later, thanks for telling me" the chauffeur responded.

My heart took off the moment he said that. I held the jacket in my arms and smelled it. Ahh…the perfume was obviously Ralph Lauren. His favorite imported men's cologne. I took a loose thread and inserted it in my purse. He's so **HOT**!!!!!!!

Hotaru took pictures of the items inside the limo, although the chauffer kept on reminding her not to, for the privacy of the celebrities – but she was too stubborn to obey. Plus, its useless to tell Hotaru NOT to do something.

In the meantime, I stood and stared at Tokyo through the over-head window of the limo. I could see restaurants, department stores, trees (but that's nothing exciting), airplanes, people riding bicycles, a gigantic billboard of "My Favorite Loser" with Ruka and Natsume on it. Ruka's face gets more handsome each time I stare into his deep blue eyes.

XXX

After a few traffic jams, we got to Tokyo Media Industries. My heart was beating as fast as it could as the chauffeur opened the door and lead us inside. We walked through the quiet hallway, only telephones and our footsteps could be heard. The wall was filled with photos of different celebrities (one of them was Ruka) and sitcoms that Tokyo Media produces.

"Wait here" he told us and knocked on a door. A woman came out. She had short dark brown hair (Darker than mine) and was wearing a white shirt, a blue necktie and a gray skirt.

"OHMYGOSHHHH!!! You must be the winners of the contest!! My name is Yuri Kasemi, director of My Favorite Loser!!" She screeched, hugging Hotaru and I.

"Listen, I love to get to know you girls better but I've got this urgent meeting!! I think Ruka and Natsume are in the Celebrity Lounge, 15th Floor. The rest of the cast are not here right now, I think they're in a model or commercial shooting… anyway, I'm sure Ruka and Natsume will be ecstatic to meet you!"

And with that, she skedaddled out of where we were. We didn't even get to talk or ask questions. She's some strange person.

Hotaru and I walked to the elevator. We pressed the 'UP' button. My heart was pounding fast, I was thinking of what to say to Ruka. I wiped the sweat off my forehead and muttered "Hi, I'm Mikan… no…Hi I'm Mikan Sakura… I'm the winner… no too bold…Hi I'm…"

The elevator door opened, it was a glass elevator that viewed the sites of Tokyo city…and…

Natsume?! Oh great. Why couldn't it be Ruka? Hotaru and I got on. It felt awkward, he glanced at us every so often like he was thinking "Who the hell are these girls? They're not from the press are they? They're not paparazzi are they?"

"Sakura Mikan…" I whispered softly, extending my hand. This will be a good chance to introduce myself, and probably know more about my lovely Ruka. Maybe the tabloids were wrong, maybe he could be a nice guy. "Winner of the contest"

He glanced at my hand disgustingly as if I had an infectious disease. He looked away and grunted. "Um… here…" I said, taking the lunchbox Anna gave me and showing it to him.

"My friend made it. She's a great cook…" I looked at the level. We were in the 4th floor only. This elevator was SO SLOW. "It's…it's… tempura, I think"

He took the lunchbox and opened it, yup it was tempura. He closed the lunchbox and threw it at my face. Pbbt!!! Tempura and rice drooped all over my face, my new t-shirt. I wasn't sad that I was ruined. I was pissed off because Anna took time making that meal…and my new shirt was ruined.

6th floor.

"HEY!! MY FRIEND TOOK TIME MAKING THAT!!!" I yelled, removing a shrimp that was stuck to my neck.

"Like I care" he muttered.

"You don't have courtesy at all"

"I don't need 'em" he said, and smirked at how my face was now red…and full of rice.

"YOU…YOU…!" I lunged at him, Hotaru snapped away with her camera as I attempted to beat him up. I balled my fists and tried to hit him on his cheek, but he dodged and just kicked my leg, I fell on him and pulled his hair. Huwahahha!!!

10th floor… the elevator door parted and opened. A man who looked like he worked here, entered – a strange look was pasted on his face. I know what he could be saying "who's this girl with Natsume? And omygod…she's on top of him?!?!?! I didn't know Natsume could get so intimate…"

I stood up and wiped the food all over me, Natsume did the same and he fixed his messy hair.

"Sakura Mikan" I said nervously, extending my hand to the man who just entered. "Winner of the contest" I grinned.

He shook my hand. "Jonathan Yamida, producer of My Favorite Loser" my face fell. **HE WAS THE PRODUCER??? **I was caught fighting with Natsume by the PRODUCER?!?!?!?!

"Hotaru" Hotaru said calmly, and carefully snapped a photo. "President of the Photography Club at school, 15 years old and have the qualifications of a professional photographer. You may hire me as a paparazzi" she said and handed him a business card.

Mr. Yamida sweatdropped.

Mr. Yamida got off at the 12th floor and I followed Natsume to the 15th floor. "Oh no… you're not getting off here – get off in the rooftop, where you can jump off this building"

"Thanks but no thanks" I hissed, as I got off the elevator with him. My eyes sparkled at what was before me. It was a huge lounge, probably the size of ten classrooms back at home. It had a maroon velvet carpet and a huge red lava lamp as a pillar. There were fluffy sofas and the whole wall was simply an aquarium, they were divided into two sections – Freshwater and Saltwater.

Fish and other animals swam gracefully and I felt like crying, I haven't seen anything this beautiful since my last thought of Ruka.

"Can you just go away?!?! I'm getting pissed with you lagging behind me, it's not entertaining to see an idiotic girl my age drooling all over the carpet"

"I'm the winner of the contest, excuse me – and Ms. Kasemi told me that I can stay in the Celebrity Lounge!!!" I said, showing him my fist – I have a fist and I'm not afraid to use it!!!!

"Whatever. You're here to see Ruka, aren't you?" He smirked.

"How do you know that?"

"Check your backpack. It has a: **I LOVE RUKA **pin on it. Oh God, you're pathetic"

"You're just jealous because Ruka's hotter than you!!" I yelled.

"I heard someone call my name" a familiar angelic voice said, Hotaru took her camera and snapped who was before us. My heart leapt.

"Don't you dare act like an idiot in front of your crush" Hotaru whispered. AWWW!! She's the best, best friend in the world!!! I attempted to hug her but she dodged, making me fall on the velvet carpet, I stood up right away and extended my hand in greeting (like I always do)

"Mikan Sakura" I said softly, my hand shaking and my forehead sweating with nervousness. My heart was about to tear apart…

"Ruka Nogi" he smiled, and shook my hand. **I'M NEVER WASHING MY HAND AGAIN!!!!!**

"Are you okay? Um, you've got rice on your t-shirt" he smiled. I blushed.

"Yeah. You're friend Natsume…"

"Not my fault that she's stupid" Natsume said, as Ruka glared at him.

"YOU'RE MORE STUPID!" I yelled at him.

"Um, let me make it up to you for Natsume's rudeness. You want to go out to dinner tonight? What hotel are you staying in?"

"Tokyo Palace" I responded softly.

"That's very near this building. I'll pick you and your friend…" "Hotaru" Hotaru said, handing him a business card. "At seven tonight – what's your favorite food?"

"Italian" I replied. No, not really – it's just that Italian food is Ruka's favorite…and it would be great to see him slurp spaghetti into his mouth and see a bit of sauce on his cheek. Hehe.

"Like mine! I'll take you girls to my favorite Italian restaurant later. And Natsume will come with us…right Natsume?"

"Yeah yeah yeah whatever" came the boring, dull reply of that lunchbox thrower!!!!!

"Okay, so we'll pick you up tonight at seven and take you to our favorite Italian restaurant, is that okay with you?"

Oh God. It's more than okay… I nodded, trying to hold my smile.

I've got a date with a celebrity!!!

Better yet, it's RUKA!!

Ugh…and Natsume.

XXX

**End of Chapter Two**

**Author's Note: **Chapter III will be mainly about what will happen in the restaurant and Mikan's first cheek-kiss? O.O Maybe so, Natsume on the other hand takes his anger on spaghetti… perhaps there will be a food fight… or an accidental spaghetti incident. **_I'll be back after 10 more reviews_**!


	3. Spaghetti & Meatballs

**Author's Note 11/1/2006: **Thank you, thank you, thank you – everyone for the reviews! I loved reading them! **Thanks to (from Chapter 1 – 2 so far): **_Blue Ruff 23, Esa MaRie, hend, dbzgtfan2004, Natsumesama, o.Twilight Dreams.o, simplebutspecial, Star Sapphirex, Anime-tanaka, me (anon), FanFicAddictions, Royal Cerulean, Sarcastic Gal, GhiminaRuho _for reviewing my past chapters. Anyway, here's chapter three!!!!

**DISCLAIMED**

XXX

**Chapter Three**

_Spaghetti and Meatballs_

XXX

_I've got a date with a celebrity!!!_

_Better yet, it's RUKA!!_

_Ugh…and Natsume_

XXX

Obviously, I'm extremely thrilled that Ruka asked me on a date – and even though that **_lunchbox thrower _**Natsume would be there, what's important is that my darling Ruka is going to be with me!!!

Hotaru and I walked three blocks from Tokyo Media Industries to our hotel, Tokyo Palace. It was a magnificent looking hotel with enormous chandeliers hanging from the ceiling. The marble floor was so polished, that I could see my reflection and the soft piano music was soothing to the ears.

After checking in, the bell boy brought our bags up. The elevator smelled of lavender air-freshener and we were checked in to Room 704 in Level 7. As we opened the key, the door flew open. It was a wonderful sight, there were two single beds with gold bed sheets and fluffy pillows, there was a small chandelier hanging from above and we got a great view of Tokyo.

The bathroom had a gold bath tub and little sachets of shampoo and packs of bubble bath. The sink was automatic and had disposable toothbrushes in a small cup. There was also a mini refrigerator with cookies and other yummy goods inside, there was a TV in the next room along with a sofa and a coffee table with a pitcher of iced tea. This was like heaven.

At six o' clock, Hotaru and I dressed up. It was fortunate of me to bring my blue evening dress and heels, Hotaru helped me fixed my hair, she brought my hair down and tied a blue ribbon as a head band. I love HOTARU!!!!

"What are you going to wear?" I asked her, as she opened her luggage

"I didn't bring any fancy, not like you who wants to impress the celebrities" she responded. She then took out a smart yellow jacket, a white ruffled shirt and black pants. "I'm just going to wear this, you may be overdressed – you know"

"I'm not! And besides, I read in the internet that Ruka never eats in places where you don't have to dress up nicely"

XXX

7:00

_Ding Dong… _

My heart leapt as I shut the television and went to greet the door. "Hi Ruka…" I practiced on what I was going to say as I nervously neared the door. "Thanks for…"

"_Hey idiot. We're right here…and there's no use practicing on what to say to Ruka"_ said a muffled voice behind the door. It was Natsume.

I opened the door and Ruka and Natsume were there. Ruka was holding two bouquets of roses. One for me and one for Hotaru. I turned pink and examined what he was wearing. He was wearing a polo with a black neck tie and pants. OMG. He looked so hot in it!!!

Natsume was wearing a black polo that was unbuttoned…yeah he looked kinda hot…wait…I'm just joking. I felt my face flush in embarrassment with the thought of Natsume being hot coming into my head. Obviously, I'm just joking.

"Let me take a photo of you guys…no…not with you Mikan, people don't want an extra in a photo" Hotaru said, taking her camera and snapping away. "There that's good" she muttered after six shots.

"Shall we go?" Ruka said.

"Yeah!!!" I squealed.

XXX

We rode in the limousine. I stood up in the over-head window and squealed as I saw the night-time Tokyo lights. Red, pink, blue and other colored lights flashed before my eyes, people looked at me as if I was some five year old girl. But I don't care if they think I'm childish. I am…what I am!! I grinned and saw more lights, fireworks burst in the air in different colors. I wish **_I would live in Tokyo forever…_**

We stopped in what looked like a classy restaurant. There was a red awning and a blue carpet (I wonder why it isn't red). The manager went to greet us at the door. "Reservation…oh…it's you Mr. Nogi and Mr. Hyuuga – with your dates?" he grinned sheepishly at us.

"Acquaintances" Ruka responded calmly. The manager turned to Natsume for his answer. "I don't even know these idiots". The manager nodded and brought us to the table, several photographs followed us in but the manager closed the door as soon as we got in.

There was a pianist playing symphonies of Mozart. The manager led us to what seemed like a VIP room since it was far away from the other tables and in a private room. The tablecloth was gold and the utensils were gold too. The waiter offered us a bottle of Italian wine and Natsume took the whole bottle. He's a **_drunk _**man.

After ordering pasta, Ruka poured wine into each of our wine glasses and sipped. _HE WAS SO CUTE WHEN HE SIPPED WINE!!! _I smiled and sipped it…my face expression changed and I forced myself to swallow the wine. It was so tart that my lips crumpled. But the guys haven't noticed. Hotaru drank the wine as if it was juice.

"Um… is wine really supposed to taste like that?" I asked nervously.

Ruka burst laughing and Natsume just smirked. Ruka muttered an 'excuse me' and smiled

"You haven't tasted wine before?"

"I don't recall ever drinking wine or champagne or any of those fancy drinks you pour into thin glasses" I responded. Oh my gosh… I sound so STUPID!!!!

"Never mind, I'm probably just hungry" I said, not waiting for any reply and drank the wine, I swallowed it forcibly and gave a weak smile.

"You're so cute" Ruka grinned. I blushed. **RUKA CALLED ME CUTE!!!!** I wanted to rip my head off when he said that. Maybe **_I should act stupid more often._ **

The waiter arrived with a huge plate of spaghetti (I mean, **REALLY HUGE**). I was overwhelmed as he placed it on the table, on the plate was a gigantic serving of spaghetti with at least twenty meat balls.

"Who ordered this?" I said, staring at the size of the pasta.

"Me. Whenever I eat with friends, I order the party size – I hope you don't mind" he replied. "All of us will share"

"Let's just hope the pig won't finish it all" Natsume commented, taking his fork. Yeah, he was referring to me. UGH.

The four of us took our forks and twirled it around the noodles. I put the noodles into my mouth and smiled. This was the most delicious spaghetti I've tasted. The bitter sweetness of the tomato sauce melted in my mouth, the softness of the noodles, the tenderness of the meat balls and you would bite it. I leaned back and savored the taste.

There was a silence between all of us, since we were busy digging in – Hotaru was the one who ate the most, I think she has the certain technique to eat spaghetti faster than others.

Natsume smirked.

"What's so funny?" I snapped, slurping one noodle of spaghetti.

"Pig" he muttered softly. Ruka looked at him nervously and Hotaru was smirking as well. I got my compact from my bag and looked. Oh darn!!! My face was filled with tomato sauce, no wonder I smelled like it.

"Excuse me" I whispered and went to the bathroom. I washed the tomato sauce out of my face and put on fresh lip gloss. I'm acting stupid…again!!! But maybe Ruka will tell me that I'm cute again.

"Are you alright?" Ruka asked as I took my seat again. He's such a **gentleman!!!! **

"Yes" I replied and continued eating my spaghetti. "You have spaghetti sauce on your dress" Natsume told me, I looked and he smirked. "Made you look' he said.

"Natsume, you're really PISSING ME OFF!!!" I said, slurping my spaghetti angrily. I slurped and slurped and slurped and Natsume did the same… it was like we were having a spaghetti eating contest. Hotaru snapped away with her camera. "I could sell this to the tabloids. Headline: **Pigs Allowed in Italian Restaurant" **she said calmly and continued taking more photos.

"Take a look at yourself, moron" Natsume said. What?

**Ohmygosh**

It occurred to me that we have been eating the same noodle…and we might end up like the Lady and the Tramp!! Accidentally kissing each other since they were eating the same noodle!!! My face turned red as I pulled away the noodle and breathed heavily. My heart was pounding so fast, why was I so nervous? If I kissed him, so what?

XXX

I remained quiet for the rest of the meal, Hotaru was the one who was talking. She was discussing about photographs and she was making deals with Natsume and Ruka if they would like to buy the latest embarrassing photos of Mr. Yamida (she was able to sneak into his office and snap photos, mind you). Ruka bought 4 and Natsume bought 3.

At the end of the night, our spaghetti plate was empty and we rode the limousine back to Tokyo Palace. They walked us to our hotel room.

"Thank you, I'm sorry if I was…acting stupid" I said, my voice was shaking. This was the most embarrassing night of my life.

"That's no problem" Ruka said & kissed me on the cheek. I screamed silently as I touched my cheek, my face all flushed and red and I couldn't look at him in the eye after that.

Then, **_Natsume's face expression changed_**. What was wrong with him? He **looked much more pissed** than he usually is. I bit my lip and said good night, when I was about to shut the door Ruka told me that I'm going to make my guest appearance on My Favorite Loser tomorrow!!!!! I'm so excited!!!!

I shut the door and felt the spot where Ruka kissed my cheek. But I still couldn't make it out why Natsume looked so pissed after that. Hmm…oh well! He doesn't matter… but this is starting to be so exciting!!!

XXX

**Author's Note 11/2/2006: **Hope you liked Chapter Three! Did my best on it! Sneak peek on chapter four: _Mikan's guest appearance on My Favorite Loser, what would happen if Natsume found out the Natsume Hyuuga Fan Club scrapbook? O.o Find out in the…drum roll please…dan dan dan dan… next concluding chapters of My Favorite Loser!!! _


	4. Chapter Four

_Ruka told me that I'm going to make my guest appearance on My Favorite Loser tomorrow!!!!! I'm so excited!!!! _

XXX

**Chapter Four**

XXX

I woke up, groggy from last night. The sun was casting upon my face, peeking from the curtains. I turned to my alarm clock: 9:02 am.I stretched and removed the warm blanket and got up. Hotaru wasn't sleeping anymore; I could hear the soft pitter-patter of water in the bathroom. She's probably taking a bath.

I opened my luggage and saw the Natsume Hyuuga Fan Club inside. I forgot to ask his autograph!! If I don't go home without an autograph of Natsume, my friends would kill me!!! I opened it, inside were printed photographs of Natsume. Ugh. They were so pathetic. I opened my backpack and inserted it inside.

Hotaru came out of the bathroom, drying her hair. She saw the scrapbook peeking out of my backpack. "You know, **if you don't tell Natsume that scrapbook isn't yours, he's going to get the wrong idea and maybe think that you like him" **

"Of course not, why would he get a thought like that?"

"Because he likes you…?"

"WHAT!"

"No, I'm just joking. You're so gullible. What time do we have to be there…I mean…for the shooting?"

"I'm not sure. I was so tired when we arrived at the hospital, I think we're supposed to arrive before eleven" I responded, walking to the shower.

XXX

We walked across the pedestrian lane after breakfast to get to TM Industries . Hotaru took photographs of the buildings and other things while we walked. We soon arrived in Tokyo Media Industries after a couple of blocks, took the elevator up to the Celebrity Lounge. Nobody was there yet, I made myself comfortable and sat on a sofa and took out the scrapbook, I leafed through the pages and set it down while Hotaru looked around the lounge to see if there was anything interesting to snap a photo of.

I looked at the clock, 10:14. Why weren't they here yet? Were they downstairs – shooting already? That couldn't be possible. I was in a conference with my fellow My Favorite Loser fans and they sent me an Instant Message saying that they usually shoot at 2:00 pm. I lay down on the sofa and continued reading the scrapbook.

I soon fell asleep. I was still exhausted from yesterday. I could hear the faint sound of Hotaru's camera and I could hear her sipping coffee (we stopped by Starbucks on the way). Then I heard the door open, I was too lazy to stand up.

Then I heard two pairs of feet walking, I could hear the voice of Natsume and Ruka – but still, I was too lazy to stand up. Then, Natsume hopped on the sofa from behind thinking that I wasn't there and I yelped in pain.

"Get off me!!" I screeched, he was sitting on me.

He smirked and remained there.

"Get off me, I said!!"

"Oh yeah, Mikan – shooting is at 1:20" Ruka told me and went to check what business Hotaru was doing. Those liar friends of mine!! Wait till I tell them that shooting's at 1:20 and not 2:00!!! I continued to hit Natsume, hoping to get him off me.

I finally pushed him off and he fell on the floor, he pulled my leg down and I fell in a much worse position. I ended up on top of him (like in the elevator). Our noses were **centimeters away** and I blushed furiously as I got up. **Why was I so flustered?** It's just that freaking Natsume, that's all!

_Normal POV_

The celebrity lounge had a bathroom. Complete with a bath tub, toilet and a sink. Ruka went inside and opened his bag, he had his extra clothes in it and he stretched his arms.

"I didn't have time to take a shower back at the apartment, so I guess I'll take a bath here" he said and took out his clothes from the bag. He closed the door to make sure nobody was there, and checked the place for paparazzi, luckily there was nobody in the room except him.

He removed his clothes and entered the bath tub, he filled the tub with warm water and relaxed to its comfort.

_Click_

He sat up. Who was in the room? "Who's here?" he demanded.

_Click, click, click… _

"WHO'S HERE??"

Something…or rather someone emerged from the bathroom closet, in her hands was her beloved camera. She smirked with satisfaction as she continued snapping away.

"HOTARU!!!!!" Ruka shouted, getting a towel and standing up. His blond hair was wet and soapy with shampoo.

"YOU'RE A PERVERTED GIRL!!" he shouted.

"No, I'm not. If I was, I'd be giggling and writing disturbing things down my diary. But this is for profit, I'm going to sell this on Ebay, put this on my website, upload this on Photobucket and put this in my photo album in my Friendster," Hotaru replied calmly. "5 yen for pocket size picture, 10 yen for album size photo and 20 yen for a photo with a nice pretty border and 50 yen for a calendar"

What Hotaru said was true. She seemed like a professional photographer in the works, but Ruka was still pissed off.

"HOTARU!!!!"

_Mikan's POV_

"Did you hear something?" I asked, after a long silence. This was getting unusually awkward, of all the people – I would be awkward with Natsume.

"If you heard it, then I didn't" Natsume responded, his face hidden by his magazine.

I haven't expected it to be this awkward with Natsume. I expected it to be much more awkward with Ruka since he's so hot but not Natsume. I looked at the clock 11:00. I couldn't wait for my guest appearance on the show.

XXX

After lunch, we went downstairs to where we were going to shoot. The stage was set up as a living room, this was supposedly in the living room of Fukachi (Ruka) and Taichii (Natsume). Cameras were set up and there were glasses of water set for the actors and actresses. The rest of the cast came in. Let me introduce them to you:

**Krissy Hanawari (who plays Miki Reina) **– Krissy is half European. She's very beautiful. She's sixteen years old but she's much more mature, during chat forums – they said that she has five hundred pairs of high heels in her wardrobe and has imported make up. I wish to live like her. Plus, she has a crush on Ruka!!! That really made me pissed

**Yuuka (I haven't got the time to find out his family name, his character is named Yuuka also! It's cool!) – **Yuuka has many fan clubs, he's considered one of the most good looking celebrities in Tokyo. He's number three in the GOOD LOOKING CELEBRITIES count down, and Ruka is just number ten. It's surprising that Natsume is number four. I have heard rumors that Yuuka is secretly in love with Krissy, but I doubt it.

Krissy went up to me. "You must be the winner of the contest!" she said, giving me a hug. She smelled of cinnamon, and she was so pretty! I wish I was her. Yuuka watched from afar, yes – he was good looking. He had very light brown hair with blond high lights and crystal blue eyes. "Yuuka, take a look at our winner! She's so cute!!" Krissy squealed. Yuuka went up to me and seemed to scan me from top to toe.

He was scary.

After a few preparations, they gave me the script. I played a girl from the dog pound. The episode was about Miki adopting a doggy and named him Wee since he was so small, she tells Yuuka to babysit it but then Yuuka has to go to some party (Yuuka plays a party animal), so he gives Wee to Fukachi and Taichii…who are irresponsible lose him and go to the dog pound to see if Wee was there.

I watched the first few scenes, Krissy and Yuuka are wonderful!! If only I got the chance to be a main character in a sitcom, then I would have no regrets in life and die happy.

Then it was Natsume and Ruka's turn. Ruka's so hot when he's nervous and freaking out.

Then it was my turn. My heart pounded so fast. I walked nervously to the stage, which was set as a dog pound.

"Miss!!! Have you seen a dog? It's a Chihuahua – you know the dogs with freakishly large ears!!!" Ruka said, running up to me. HE'S SO CUTE!!!!

"Um… um…" I glanced at my palm where I wrote my lines. "Does it have a name on its collar?"

"Yeah it's…"

RING. The phone rang, I answered it. "Hello?"

"But…but… my Wee!!!" Ruka screeched. I wanted to laugh when he did.

"Hold on… listen sir, you should've taken care of your wee before you left the house – I mean, everybody knows that!!"

XXX

We returned to the Celebrity Lounge after the show, it was already night time and I was tired. We ate dinner there and I went to the hotel. When I got there, I checked for the scrapbook in my backpack. My compact, my lip gloss, my handkerchief, cell phone, gum wrapper (that's not important)… but the scrapbook… it's **NOT THERE!!!!!! **

"HOTURU!! HAVE YOU SEEN THE NATSUME FAN CLUB SCRAPBOOK?" I yelled.

"Calm down. No, I haven't seen it. But the last time I did was in the Celebrity Lounge"

OHMYGOD!!!!

I grabbed my jacket and took the elevator downstairs, I ran two blocks and went back to Tokyo Media Industries. What if someone found it? What if it was...

I went to the Celebrity Lounge. Ruka and Natsume were still there and they were watching television.

"Mikan, what brings you here?"

"Ohmygod! You've got to help me!! I left a scrapbook here!!"

"You mean, this scrapbook?" Natsume said, holding the scrapbook in his hands. **_OH NO!!!! OF ALL THE PEOPLE, HE WAS THE ONE WHO GOT IT!! DAMN, DAMN AND DAMN!!!!_**

I took a deep breath. "Um…thanks…can I have it back?"

Natsume smirked. "You like me don't you?"

"What the hell are you talking about?" I said, my voice shaking. Wait…**if I didn't like him I wouldn't be this** **nervous**…but I was…wait…never mind!!!

"It says here" Natsum grinned, opening the scrapbook and leafing through the pages. "Natsume's so hot… I love him!!" he recited and closed the book.

"That's my friend's book!!" I screeched, trying to grab the scrapbook. "Yeah, right" he replied.

"You want me" he smirked.

"SHUT THE HELL UP!!!" I screamed, attempting to grab the book from him – but he dodged and I fell on the ground.

"Listen," he said as I stood up. "I'll give you back your scrapbook and keep you liking me a secret only if…"

"You clean my apartment and do anything I say"

"HEY! That's unfair!! I'm the guest here!!"

"Or should I surrender this to the tabloid people?"

I sighed and turned my head. "Fine" I muttered and left the building.

"Natsume, I'm surprised" Ruka said.

"Why?"

"**You blackmail a girl just to spend time with her" **

XXX

**Author's Note: **Could it be true? Could Natsume be blackmailing Mikan just to spend time with her? O.O find out in the next concluding chapters!!


	5. Maid For the Day

"_You clean my apartment and do anything I say" _

"_HEY! That's unfair!! I'm the guest here!!" _

"_Or should I surrender this to the tabloid people?" _

_I sighed and turned my head. "Fine" I muttered and left the building._

"_Natsume, I'm surprised" Ruka said. _

"_Why?"_

"_**You blackmail a girl just to spend time with her" **_

XXX

**Chapter Five**

Maid for the Day

XXX

_Natsume's Penthouse Apartment_

_(Normal POV) _

"What the heck are you doing?" Ruka asked, as he walked into the two-storey penthouse apartment of Natsume. Dirty laundry was scattered all over the floor as well as soda bottles and empty potato chip bags.

"Dirtying my apartment" Natsume responded from the second floor, a waterfall of clothes fell out of the loft upstairs. "These clothes are still clean" Ruka commented, picking up a t-shirt.

"I know"

"I KNEW IT!!" Ruka yelled out from the bottom floor, he went up the staircase and grinned.

"What?"

"You're just dirtying the apartment so that…that girl Mikan will have to clean this up AND you'll be spending time with her, of course – you'll be pissing her off"

"Oh shut up. I just want to make her two-week vacation here a living hell. I hate these fans!" Natsume said calmly and threw his blanket to the first floor.

"You're such a dork, Natsume" Ruka laughed.

"Shut up!!!" Natsume yelled, and grabbed his cell phone and dialed Tokyo Palace.

"Hello, Tokyo Palace? May I be connected to Room 704 – thanks"

"It's six thirty only! Give the girl some time to sleep!"

"I don't care if she's still sleepy"

"_Hello?" _said a drowsy and nasal voice. Yep, definitely Mikan.

"Oy. Baka. Get up now"

"_And why do you want me to get up?!??!"_ Mikan asked.

"You're so forgetful. Don't you remember our agreement?"

There was a long pause. _"Give me five minutes" _Mikan finally said and closed the phone.

Natsume smirked devilishly at the phone.

XXX

_Mikan's POV_

XXX

I came to Natsume's apartment. It was a two-storey apartment with a loft upstairs. But to my horror, what lay before me didn't look like a celebrity's penthouse AT ALL. Clothes were scattered all over the blue carpet, juice boxes, plastic containers, candy wrappers, bottles, empty bento boxes, grains of rice, shoes…**it was like some poor slob's trailer!!!! **

"What are you looking at? Get cleaning" Natsume ordered, and thrust a broom at me.

"Now way am I going to clean up your mess!!" I yelled, throwing the broom back at him.

"Just a minute," Natsume said and picked up his cell phone. "I'm going to call Now magazine and say that I've got this scrapbook with YOU written all over it"

I clenched my fists and picked up the broom, my left eye twitching with stress…and hate of course.

"You're unbelievable" I murmured. I wanted to pick up a gun and shoot him but he smirked and entered the bathroom.

I picked up the food stuff first. It was quite strange since the juice boxes were still full and still had their straws stuck to them, the candy wrappers still had the sweets inside, the chocolate bars still had their yummy goodness carefully wrapped in heaven… it was like he just emptied his stocked refrigerator and threw it out in the floor on purpose…but…oh well… must get back to work.

I placed the food back inside the refrigerator since they were still good as new and their expiry date was far from now. I started picking up his clothes (and how kind of him that he didn't put any underwear…if he did…I don't now what I'd do). I picked up jackets, pants, shorts, ties, polo, casual t-shirts. Oh my god, I feel like a wife… wait…erase that thought.

Then I found, wedged between two armchairs…was a…my face fell crimson as I picked it up. It was a… thong!!! O.O

"NATSUME!! YOU PERVERT!!" I screeched, he exited the bathroom which released a tantalizing scent of…men's perfume?!? Wait…never mind… he's a pervert!!!

"YOU PERVERT!COLLECTING WOMEN'S UNDERWEAR!!!" I shrieked, throwing the thong at him. He dodged and looked at it as if it were contaminated.

"He was here" Natsume muttered.

"Huh? What?" I said, the two of us were staring at that piece of underwear now.

"My gay neighbor" Natsume said, he kicked the thong out the door. "**PERSONA!!!!"**

"Hey, isn't Persona – Tokyo's number one pop idol. I love his hit single Oops I Did It Again!!" I said, my eyes sparkling. Yes, Persona was one of my favorite pop idols. My classmates have a crush on him but I didn't know he was gay…or collected women's underwear. He has a fan club back at home, and I have his first album: **_Come A Little Closer. _**He didn't have a concert in my hometown though.

Persona came running out of the third to the last door. He was wearing black pajamas and he had black blinders and put it on top of his head, revealing dark purple eyes. He was so handsome, i thought. But the idea that he collects women's underwear totally turned me off.

"You left your damn underwear in my apartment again! If you're trying to collect ANYTHING from me, then don't! Because the next time you set your perverted feet here… I swear I'm going to kill you!!"

"NATSUME!" Persona gasped. "How could you say such a thing? No wonder I couldn't find my favorite thong…wait…who's this girl?" Persona asked, turning to me. His purple eyes glued onto my innocent brown ones.

"Is she your…" Persona said, cupping my chin and studying my face. "Girlfriend?"

I blushed and turned away. "NATSUME! You sly fox!! And to think I was your one-and-only!" Persona said, his voice cracking with heart break.

"Oh shut up you fag! Get away from me!" Natsume hissed and slammed the door. I could hear Persona dance across the hallway singing track three from his first album **_Baby One More Time. _**I giggled to myself.

"Why would Persona collect women's underwear?" I asked Natsume.

"He doesn't COLLECT them, dummy. He wears them – and if you think thongs are the only thing he wears, think again!"

"How do you know all these stuff?" I asked.

"It's not easy having somebody stalk you and leave their belongings behind"

I laughed.

Hey, maybe Natsume isn't that bad after all.

_Meanwhile_

"What's this?" Ruka asked, taking a photograph of himself from the table. He was in the hotel room of Hotaru and Mikan since he had no other place to go.

"Candid shot!" Hotaru responded softly, and grabbed the photo from him and put it in a brown manila envelope.

"What are you going to do with those?"

"Sell them. Remember what I told you yesterday, 5 yen for pocket size photo…"

"Yes, I know… GAWD!!! I need respect here!!" Ruka whined.

"Tell you what, I'll let you take pictures of me – only if you pay me 10 yen per photo" he continued.

"I'm not going to waste my money" Hotaru said calmly.

Ruka was definitely pissed-off. He took Hotaru's camera from the table. "You're baby will get hurt" he said playfully.

"Oh shut up. I do not consider inanimate objects…babies" Hotaru said, taking the camera away from him. The strap was still in Ruka's hands and her tugged it back, making Hotaru fall and she landed on his lap – the camera on his hands.

"Got it" she muttered and gave a sly grin. She saw Ruka rub his head and she turned away, standing up – her heart was beating fast.

No.

Ruka is Mikan's.

XXX

_Natsume's Apartment_

XXX

I cleaned up the loft and the first floor of Natsume's apartment. I fell on the couch, exhausted. My joints were painful from all that cleaning. I haven't cleaned that much since last spring. I stretched my arms and made myself comfortable on his couch. It was a very soft couch…so soft…zzzz….

"Oi, baka – you missed a spot" Natsume said, walking downstairs. He had noticed Mikan snoring peacefully on the sofa and he grunted.

_NORMAL POV_

He came a little closer, her eyelashes were so long and captivating, her immature pigtails cascaded upon her sleeping face and she breathed with a soft tune to it… Natsume smirked and watched from the other sofa.

He was getting kinda bored. He inched closer, and after a few minutes – she screamed out "RUKA!" and sat up. "I had a scary dream… I dreamt that Ruka turned into you" she said, pointing at him as if he was a guilty man.

"What time is it?" she asked. It was seven pm. She had worked the whole day that she didn't even think about lunch time. The apartment was spotless and she praised herself for her great work. She had forgotten about her scrapbook and said her goodbyes. "I'll eat dinner at the hotel, I'll see you tomorrow" she said to Natsume – who was now getting ready for a party.

She took the glass elevator downstairs, her mind was so tired and lethargic and she trudged across the street sleepily. Her mind thought of goose-down pillows and the warm velvet blankets that awaited her back in room 704.

"See that girl?"

"Who?"

"The one with pigtails"

"Yep"

"She just came from the apartment building where most of the celebrities in Tokyo reside"

"WHAT?! She looks like a province kid"

"Yeah but she must know one of the celebrities. How much do you think her celebrity friend would pay her if we hold her ransom back in the warehouse?"

"Hmm… a lot probably. And plus, she looks like a girlfriend of somebody"

"It would be fun seeing that celebrity begging down on his knees to protect his precious girl"

The two beholders of those raspy voices walked behind the innocent girl who was staring sleepily at the stop light.

"Hey little girl" the whispered. She turned around and the grabbed her by the wrists, the covered her mouth with their grimy and greasy palms as she kicked and screamed. Nobody was paying attention, the bright Tokyo neon lights were blinding them, the loud music was deafening them. Nobody could hear her cries for help.

"You're a tough one"

She resisted, she kicked and pushed. Tears rolled down her cheeks as she began to get more tired as she was now. She then, stopped – her energy drained and she had no energy at all – she didn't have time for lunch and she just had yoghurt for breakfast.

"Help me…"

XXX

**Author's Note: **Oh my goodness!! What will happen to dear old Mikan? Dun dun dun dun!!!!


	6. Flower Fireworks

**Author's Note 11/7/2006: **Another chapter! I'd like to thank the following people for reviewing Chapters 3-5: _simplebutspecial, Anime-tanaka, Natsumesama, Esa MaRie, Ghiminaruho, o.Twilight Dreams.o, Soul of the Rain, The Cool Kid and the Nameless One, kukali, michiy0, hend, Blue Firefly, Star Sapphirex, me (anon), enverolemina, natsumexmikan,iluvBR AND aya09. Thank you, thank you – thank you! And thanks to those people who just read but don't review, you're also helpful to me!! _Hope you like Chappie 6!!!

"_Hey little girl" the whispered. She turned around and the grabbed her by the wrists, the covered her mouth with their grimy and greasy palms as she kicked and screamed. Nobody was paying attention, the bright Tokyo neon lights were blinding them, the loud music was deafening them. Nobody could hear her cries for help._

"_You're a tough one"_

_She resisted, she kicked and pushed. Tears rolled down her cheeks as she began to get more tired as she was now. She then, stopped – her energy drained and she had no energy at all – she didn't have time for lunch and she just had yoghurt for breakfast._

"_Help me…"_

XXX

**Chapter Six**

Flower Fireworks

XXX

Mikan came to her senses after a few hours. She was inside a warehouse full of boxes. There was hardly any oxygen coming through the tiny window. Her hands were tied up, and the rope was cutting through her skin painfully. Her legs were tied up as well and she was gagged. What did they want with her? She wasn't famous or rich. She was terribly hungry and she could hear footsteps pacing outside the next room. Then a door swung open.

A man with rough-looking and yellow colored teeth walked up to her. He was wearing a green bonnet with holes in it, a blue oversized sweater, a yellow fishing vest and a baggy pair of jeans. "Waken up so quickly?" he said, his breath smelled like sardines and rotten tomatoes.

Another man came in, he had long brown hair that he tied messily into a bun, he wore a green t-shirt and oversized shorts. He scanned Mikan and smirked. "So who's your boyfriend, little lady?"

The first man removed the handkerchief that they gagged her with. She gasped for breath and glared at the two of them. "I have no boyfriend…what makes you think I do?" she replied.

"Well, you came out of the apartment where most celebrities live…and you look like you're the girlfriend of somebody" the second man said.

"WHAT! I'M NOT THE GIRLFRIEND OF NATSUME!"

"Natsume Hyuuga – eh?" The first guy said, grinning sinisterly. Mikan wanted to bump her head on the wall. She had given it out. Now, they're probably going to make Natsume or any of the My Favorite Loser cast pay ransom for her freedom.

"Didn't know the guy was the…er… lovey-dovey type" the second guy commented. "Do you have his number?"

"Yeah…wait… I'll check my cell phone"

"How do you know his number?"

"We have sources. We're professionals. Don't think we're amateur kidnappers. We have kidnapped lots of the loved ones of celebrities… and most celebrities are too selfish to pay the ransom…and do you know what we do to our victim?"

Mikan gulped. "I'd rather not know…"

"Oh yes. Excuse us. We forgot to introduce ourselves. My name is Beer and this is Tequila" the first man said

_What odd names _thought Mikan.

"Anyway, I'm going to dial your boyfriend's number right now" Tequila grinned and took the cell phone of Beer. He winked devilishly at Mikan who shuddered at his disgusting face and waited for Tequila to start talking to Natsume.

"_Hi. You've reached the apartment of Natsume Hyuuga. He's not home right now, please leave a message after the beep…" _

"Damn. He's not at home. Do you have his cell number?" Tequila asked, scanning through the phone book of Beer. "Yeah, I think so…"

_These were the most **pathetic **kidnappers she's ever met. _

"Ah! It's here, I'm going to call your dear lover right now"

_Ginger Street Premiere_

_(Natsume's POV) _

Ginger Street was a new sitcom that was going to show this December. One of my friends is going to be one of the lead roles, so I was invited. Celebrities strutted around the party, wearing designer outfits, their hair done and high lighted, drinking margaritas, loud hip hop music played in the stereo as I sat down on a couch watching the amateur band they had got to perform for the entertainment. I felt my cell phone vibrate. I looked at the number of the caller…it was an unknown caller… I went to the bathroom to answer the call.

"Yeah…?"

"_Natsume Hyuuga?" _a raspy voice whispered.

"Yeah, it's me? Wait… are you one of those fans who go beyond boundaries to find my cell number… cause if you are…"

"_Nope. But we're fans of your money. We know you've got billions of yen in your bank account" _

"Are you threatening me?"

"_Nah. We're threatening your beloved girlfriend" _

"I have no girlfriend, you moron"

"_Oh really? I'll put you on with her" _

_I_ was completely confused at the moment.

"_Natsume? Hi… it's Mikan. They've got me hold up in this warehouse…where is it? –pause- Oh it's in the outskirts of Tokyo. It was a… -pause- oh yeah, a warehouse for fireworks before…-pause- Yeah, and they want a million yen in exchange of my life…or else they'll…WHAT! YOU MUST BE KIDDING!! –pause-…they said they'd…gulp… **behead me" **_

I closed his cell phone. My heart raced fast as he ran out of the bathroom and out of the party. Ruka was now walking back out of Tokyo Palace.

"Oy. Natsume… what are you doing here?"

"THE IDIOT GOT HERSELF KIDNAPPED, DAMN IT!" I yelled.

"Oh. Are you talking about Mikan? Where did she get kidnapped?"

"She said something about this warehouse for fireworks in the outskirts of Tokyo"

Hotaru ran into them. "My Idiot tracker says that she's thirty-two kilometers away from here. I was alarmed when the Idiot tracker indicated that she was so far, so I got the feeling that she was kidnapped – or got drunk"

_Normal pov _

"Thirty-two kilometers away from here? Hey, let's take the limo there. But aren't they charging you for her life?" Ruka said, as they ran to the parking lot.

"Yeah. A million yen…but I don't want to spend all of that for a stupid girl's life"

"Maybe we can get her out with the kidnappers noticing…here's the car! But where's our chauffeur?"

"Who cares, Ruka! I'm going to drive" Natsume said getting in the car, Ruka and Hotaru sat in the back.

"You're starting to like her" Ruka teased.

"GOD, RUKA! It's no time for teasing right now!" Natsume yelled from the front, as he stepped on the accelerator.

"Natsume and Mikan sitting on a tree…k-i-s-s-i-n-g…first comes love…second comes marriage…third comes a baby in a carriage!"

"SHUT UP!!!!"

They drove thirty-two kilometers. Hotaru gave the directions since she held the Idiot tracker. It was two in the morning already, the traffic was unusually heavy and it made Natsume curse and curse whenever there was a point they had to stop. It was quite amusing to see a limousine speed down the highway.

By three fifteen, they stopped at the warehouse. It smelled damp and musty. It said: **FIREWORK EMPORIUM. **There was chicken wire on the walls, it looked like a prison and there were crates and boxes of unused fireworks.

"I've got an idea. Let's set these fireworks on fire, making them explode. The kidnappers will see that there are trespassers and run here, when they do – we'll sneak inside the warehouse. We must set many fireworks on fire so that there will be numerous explosions"

"You're so smart, Hotaru" Ruka laughed.

Hotaru just looked away.

Natsume took out his lighter, Ruka pried open the crates and there were various kinds of fireworks inside the crate. They took them out of the crates one by one and pulled them out of their boxes and containers. They laid them on the floor as Natsume lit them. The fire ignited the fireworks and colors shot up in the air.

"Quick! Let's go in before they come!" Natsume said. "There usually is a back door, so we could probably take that" Hotaru said, they ran to the back of the warehouse, they could hear the sound of the fireworks and they watched different colors fall in the ground and disappear softly.

"The door is jammed!"

"DAMN IT!!"

"There's a window here. But it's a show-window. Do we have anything to break it?"

"Here!" Natsume said, throwing a brick he found on the floor at Ruka, he dodged it and it broke the show window, they climbed in – avoiding the pieces of glass on the floor. The kidnappers couldn't hear the sound of the window breaking since the explosions were much more distracting.

"According to my Idiot tracker…she's twelve meters away from us. Go right…now go left…now…"

The next room was darker than the rest, Natsume opened his lighter to light the room. And there was Mikan, tied up on the floor with a handkerchief gagging her.

"MIKAN!!" Ruka said, running up to her and embracing her. Mikan flushed into a pretty color of crimson as Ruka untied her.

"Thanks, Natsume" Mikan said softly, as she got up.

"Shut up. Now let's get into the limo before they come back" Natsume said, shaking away his blush.

The four of them ran out from where they came in. Beer and Tequila were freaking out, looking around for the 'trespassers' and clumsily trying to put out the fireworks since they were going to attract too much attention. Hotaru called the police as they entered the limousine and Mikan fell asleep on the car, exhausted.

They stopped at Tokyo Media Industries first to report what happened and they rested in the Celebrity Lounge, drained from their hero work. As Natsume lay down on the sofa, reading a magazine – Mikan threw a small box at him.

"What's this?" Natsume asked. "Read the label" Mikan told him, her face beet red.

**FLOWER FIRE WORKS**

"What the hell do you want me to do with this?"

"In the warehouse, I found this box beside me. I knew you were going to come for me Natsume, I had faith in you. So maybe…"

She inhaled and turned redder. "We can watch the fire works together"

Natsume glanced at her for one moment and slowly walked to the vast balcony where they usually eat lunch. He took out the fireworks and lit them up with his lighter, Mikan watched in awe as it shot up in the sky in various colors.

Blue, red, pink, orange…they were in the shape of flowers. They lit up the sky in such a breathtaking way that the early morning clouds became visible as the fire works sparkled in the air. The smell of fire lingered around the balcony as more fireworks flew into the air and burst into magnificent colors.

"Hey Natsume,"

"What?" Natsume responded softly, still watching the fireworks as it reflected brightly in his eyes.

"**I've always wanted to watch fireworks with Ruka… but watching fireworks with you…it's fine with me" **

Natsume looked down, he was blushing intensely and he didn't want anybody to see him do so. _GOD! IM ACTING LIKE A CHEESY GUY IN SOME TEEN FLICK_! Natsume thought and attempted to hit himself to remove the redness until the idiot spoke.

"Natsume,"

"WHAT?!?!" Natsume demanded impatiently.

"Let's go somewhere together tomorrow… I mean… not in a date you know cause that's gonna be weird and people are going to gossip about you in the tabloids…I guess with Ruka and Hotaru also…okay?"

"Do what you like"

"What YOU like" Mikan corrected, pointing to Natsume.

"Thanks again" she whispered and entered the room again

"WHAT'S HAPPENING TO ME?!!?!" Natsume yelled and kicked the box of fireworks.

XXX

**Author's Note: **Oh my tosh! Where will Natsume, Mikan, Hotaru and Ruka go tomorrow? Perhaps Ruka and Hotaru get lost on the way and Natsume and Mikan will have to spend the day together? O.O find out in the next CONCLUDING CHAPS!


	7. Childish Togetherness

**Author's Note: **Hello again!! Another update from me! I would like to thank the following readers for reviewing Chapter 6: michiyo, Star Sapphirex, SamuraiLordzandGoddesses777, me  
(anon), Esa MaRie, hend, simplebutspecial, anonomous, Anime-tanaka and GhiminaRuho. Anyway, hope you enjoy Chapter 6!

"_Let's go somewhere together tomorrow… I mean… not in a date you know cause that's gonna be weird and people are going to gossip about you in the tabloids…I guess with Ruka and Hotaru also…okay?"_

"_Do what you like"_

"_What YOU like" Mikan corrected, pointing to Natsume._

"_Thanks again" she whispered and entered the room again_

"_WHAT'S HAPPENING TO ME?!!?!" Natsume yelled and kicked the box of fireworks_

XXX

**Chapter Seven**

Childish Togetherness

XXX

_Mikan's POV_

It was certainly inevitable that we didn't make the newspaper or tabloids after my kidnapping. Natsume, Ruka and Hotaru were featured on different tabloids and they were the main topic in the entertainment section. They were also featured in Tokyo's biggest celebrity show: _Tokyo Celebrities Today_. There were candid photographs of them running into the warehouse and setting the fireworks in flames. There were different titles such : **_Natsume…By Day a Celebrity, By Night a HERO?!?!?!?! _**Or **_Warehouse Superstars _**or something like that.

After breakfast, Hotaru and I went downstairs to visit Tokyo Media Industries to talk to Ruka and Natsume. We walked down the lobby and as we entered the main road, we saw unusual looking men holding cameras with pencils in their ears. They also had papers peeking out of a big black messenger bag which was also stuffed with camera film and different kinds of lenses.

"They're paparazzi" Hotaru whispered.

"How do you know?"

"It's so obvious. With their unusual way of walking, their tone in whistling, the way their eyes shift and ears twitch whenever there's somebody nearby. Face it, after that story on the My Favorite Loser stars rescuing an unidentified girl which is you – people want to dig in to the roots of the story. They might even make rumors that we are their girlfriends or something like that," Hotaru responded. "Keep watch. They may recognize us from the newspapers"

We walked hastily to Tokyo Media Industries where there were more photographers. They were sitting on benches, leaning against the wall and some were wearing bizarre clothes that had leaves on it. Hotaru told me they must be trying to camouflage themselves against the sidewalk plants. But it was so obvious that they were people since the stray dogs wouldn't mark their territory on them.

We went up to the 15th floor (Celebrity Lounge) and Natsume and Ruka were there watching TV. _"…And who were these two mysterious girls with them? Girlfriends, probably? We are yet to find out" _Natsume turned off the TV and kicked it.

"DO YOU SEE THIS?" he yelled, acknowledging our presence as we walked in and sat down with them. "NOW THEY'RE ALREADY GOSSIPING ABOUT US!!! AND ITS ALL YOU AND YOU'RE STUPID MIND'S FAULT!!!"

"It wasn't intentional" I said, my heart about to rip out with guilt.

"Oh believe me…you're rescue was intentional" Ruka said, giving a sly look at Natsume – making him turn away and flush intensely. What's up with him?

Hotaru looked out the window. "There are still paparazzi outside. You cannot possibly afford to go outside without them noticing you…and us of course. There were two double takes as we walked over to this building. They must've recognized us from the newspapers" she said coolly.

"We can't stay here forever. It's so boring and these paparazzi are SO stubborn" Ruka said, going to the window and seeing for himself.

"But I promised Natsume that we'd all go out together…" I protested. They gave me this certain look that made me think that I meant **a 'date'** I shook my head "No… it's not what you think… I meant the four of us…not just…me and Natsume" I said, my voice shaking nervously. Ruka raised his eyebrow but I just avoided their stares of disbelief.

"Hey Natsume, there's going to be a party tonight upstairs. Maybe we can just go there later" Ruka said, smiling. **OMG…. RUKA'S SO CUTE WHEN HE SMILES**!! I know I've said that lots of times but I'm trying to brainwash all of you to know that he's HOT!!!

"Yeah I guess so. But premieres are so damn boring" Natsume said, leaning back.

"How about you, Mikan? Do you want to go to the premiere?"

I wanted to float up to heaven and die.

"Haha. You can be my date!" He said, patting me on the back and grinning at the way my face flushed.

"But don't you think there's going to be paparazzi? There's always photographs in premieres" Hotaru objected calmly.

"I can just tell the bodyguards to kick them out" Ruka returned proudly.

XXX

Hours later, we got ready for the party. Hotaru let my hair down and put a diamond barrette on it. She says I look more mature than I look now. I unpacked a nice pink sleeveless evening gown with a black sash and Hotaru lent me a pair of heels. Hotaru wore a dark blue long-sleeve dress and dark blue wedges, she tied a blue ribbon around her hair. She looked so pretty, I wonder if I'm that pretty.

Of course, Ruka's chauffeur picked us up even though it was a few blocks away because it would look kinda stupid for two girls wearing formal clothes dirtying themselves in the street by walking and being EXPOSED to the smog and end up smelling like stray dogs.

The party hasn't begun yet so we went up to the Celebrity Lounge and stayed there for awhile. Natsume and Ruka entered a few minutes after we arrived. Natsume was wearing a suit but there was no polo or necktie inside but merely a casual t-shirt and wore a pair of black Converse rubber shoes**. WOW! HE LOOKED HOT!!!!** No… I'm just joking – I like exciting all of you. I giggled to myself and suddenly turned pink as I scanned him head to toe. Oh shut up, Mikan – maybe I'm not joking after all, so it's not that embarrassing to admit that somebody you don't like looks hot. Ruka was wearing a suit jacket, jeans and a casual t-shirt also. He looked hot too. **I'm acting like a boy-crazy girl**.

I checked my watch. It read 7:50. "Hey, isn't it time for the party, already?" I asked Natsume. He glanced at the wall clock and nodded "Let's go" he told me. "RUKA! HOTARU! THE PARTY'S GONNA START!" He shouted. There was no response.

"Hey, maybe they went upstairs to the party already" I said. Natsume took one last peek and he beckoned me to go outside. We went out and Natsume locked the door with the key. "Don't want those sneaky paparazzi fooling around with our belongings" he muttered and we both went upstairs.

"COMING!!!" Ruka said, as he and Hotaru ran out of the arcade room where they were playing a fighting game (obviously, Hotaru won since she's more skilled at handling the joystick). Ruka grabbed the doorknob and twisted it, it was numb.

"DAMN! IT'S LOCKED!!!" He cursed as he attempted to open the door again. Yup, it was still locked.

"Let me try, you are foolish at these things" Hotaru said, slowly pushing him away from the door and tried to open it. Still locked.

"Let's try to open it with a hair pin I've seen it in movies and…"

"Oh shut up. It won't work. We're stuck here… "

_Alone together… _

XXX

We arrived the party. IT WAS SO COOL!!! I've never really been to a celebrity party so this was **one hell of an experience. **Loud party music blasted through the speakers of the stereo and well-dressed people walked around carrying tiny glasses of champagne and eating shrimp cocktails. Even Persona was there!!! He was wearing a leather body-suit and a touch of pink boots (I liked the pink boots). Persona noticed our presence in the party and ran up to us, he offered me a margarita.

"I'm only fifteen" I said, shaking my head.

"I didn't know Natsume would bring his dahhhhllliiing girlfriend. Would you like a shrimp cocktail?"

"No. But where did you buy those boots?" I grinned, pointing at them. This was like talking to a sister I never had.

"Dahhling, these snooty celebrities might hear me when I tell you these designer boots. But I'm going to tell you since YOU POSSIBLY cannot afford to buy them…" Persona whispered in a British accent.

"Elle" he finished and ate a shrimp. Before I could say anything else he told Natsume how much he loved his hair today but Natsume just stomped on his pretty pink boots and Persona went crawling to the buffet table.

I talked to lots of celebrities. It was amazing, some of them held my hand saying I'm so lucky to be Natsume's girlfriend but I would shake my head and say I'm Ruka's girlfriend (even though its not true, it's just soothing to my vocal cords when I say it). And Natsume would say I'm too drunk and I'm the girlfriend of nobody.

We walked to the buffet table. There were trays of different foreign food and I just kept on getting and getting food and throwing them on my plate that people kept on staring at me and said that I should watch my figure. "I'm just fifteen" I would reply and continue chomping down food.

"Where's Ruka and Hotaru?"

XXX

"I'm hungry" Hotaru told Ruka after an hour's silence. They have been watching the Home Shopping Network for quite sometime and Hotaru was getting tired of hearing the man's enthusiastic voice telling them to buy a frying pan only for eight hundred yen.

"I think there's food in the refrigerator" Ruka said and they walked to the kitchen. There were only eggs in the refrigerator so they just had to settle for that. They got a frying pan and cracked open the eggs, the yolk simmered into the olive oil and Ruka laughed.

"What?"

"It's funny. It's like we're playing HOUSE. You know…where the girl plays the wife and the guy plays the husband" he said watching her cook.

Hotaru turned away and turned red. How come he has to be so cheesy?!?!?

XXX

Dinner was great. I kept on getting servings of juicy roast beef and gulping down delicious honey-glazed chicken. I watched dancers prance on the stage and Persona was mimicking them from his table. Gowns of other celebrities distracted me since their sequined dresses reflected upon the dim light. Natsume ate less than me and talk to other people.

A few minutes after my third serving of Bolognese pasta, a man came up to the stage and took the microphone, the dancers scuttled backstage and Persona took out pink clips from his purse and clipped his hair. He's disturbing.

"Good evening, I hope you're enjoying your evening. As we all know, this party is for the new sitcom show **_Dancing With Dalmatians _**with our very own Persona starring as the main character. As we all know, Dancing With Dalmatians is about a guy from the military who has a passion for dancing and leads a double life. So shall we play the music and pick random people from the crowd to dance?" he said in a Home-Shopping-Network host kind of voice and two spotlights started flying across the room.

Then the spotlight hit me, it blinded my eyes and I turned away and gave a pasted smile. I looked who was going to be my partner… IT WAS NATSUME. He was in the other end of the room and he blocked the light with his arm. I CANT BELIEVE IM GOING TO DANCE WITH HIM. I'm such a horrible dancer that I stepped on my dance partner's arms in gym class.

I stood up nervously as people pushed Natsume onto the dance floor and I followed him, ignoring the giggling faces.

IM GOING TO DANCE WITH…NATSUME!!!

XXX

Hotaru and Ruka sat down in front of the television watching toddler shows while eating fried egg. "How many stars are in the sky?" the silly man asked in the television. "Four!!" Ruka said, jumping from the couch.

"Ruka!! You're so immature!!" Hotaru said, getting irritated at the way Ruka was behaving.

"**I'm just trying to make you smile" Ruka responded, smiling at Hotaru. **

_**There you go again… being cheesy!!! **_

XXX

"So what are your favorite dances…er… Mikan?" The host asked.

"I only know one dance from gym class" I replied, I was so embarrassed! Countless celebrities stood before me and I was making a fool out of myself.

"Ok…what's that?"

"Ballroom" I said, wanting to hit my head.

"Do you know ballroom dancing, Natsume?"

"I guess" he said.

Music started playing. I wanted to die. Natsume looked around and offered his head. I blushed and I looked around, people were grinning. I took his hand we started dancing.

The music was soft and enticing. Natsume's cologne was so strong, but so…good? There must've been alcohol in my food… I was getting dizzy as I danced with Natsume… he looked good close-up. His raven-colored hair…and his eyes were fun to get lost in. I shook my head as I danced along…getting these thoughts were disturbing.

We were centimeters apart, he wasn't keeping any eye contact with me but looking down.

"What are you doing? Hey…you're kinda pink…is something wrong?" I asked.

"No!! I'm just avoiding your ugly face so my face won't shrivel up and burn" he responded, still not looking at me.

I wanted to punch him.

Then, thanks to my distraction – I stepped on his foot and I fell down, flailing my arms as I fell and he caught my by my waist and I stood up, turning as pink as possible as his hands held my waist. I wonder how stupid I look in front of the crowd.

But still, what embarrassed me the most was the fact that I practically LOVED Ruka but I feel more flustered when I get caught in Natsume's auburn eyes. I shook my head again and continued dancing…

XXX

Before I knew it, the party was over. Persona called Natsume and I – Tokyo's Best Couple which made me even more embarrassed. Natsume walked me to the lobby since I was sleepy – 2:34 am isn't a good time for a girl to stay up. I haven't caught a glimpse of Hotaru or Ruka in the crowd, but it was weird that I didn't even think of Ruka once while I was dancing with the pervert.

XXX

"YES! IT'S UNLOCKED!!!" Ruka yelled, opening the door with a spare key that he recently found under the carpet. He opened the door and he and Hotaru skipped out, they went to the twentieth floor and found the party empty. The food was wiped out (which made them entirely disappointed since all they had was fried egg and ketchup for dinner), streamers and the decorations lay on the floor while a drunk man was asleep on the floor. Soft waltz music continued playing in the stereo.

"Darn it. The party's over"

"I guess I better go back to the hotel. I don't want the idiot to be freaking out"

"Wait!!"

"What?"

"Dance!" he grinned. "Even though the party's over – it doesn't matter"

I stared at him in disbelief.

"Look, to make it less cheesy – let's put Persona's CD as the music" Ruka said, rolling his eyes and putting Persona's second album on the stereo system.

"**Baby, don't you think I need you**

**Baby don't you think I want you**

**I'm Persona and I'm the guy you want**

**So baby come on, come on!!!" **

"So what do you say?"

"Yeah. I guess so. But only because it's not cheesy"

And they danced.

XXX

**Author's Note: **Hope you liked Chapter Seven. If you want, PLEASE SEND ME SONG REQUESTS so I can use them in this story. Thankees!


	8. Mommas Boy

**Author's Note**

Hello people!!! Another update!! Thanks to the people who reviewed Chapter Seven so far: _simplebutspecial, michiy0, Ghiminaruho, SamuraiLordzandGoddesses777, confusedangel0002, Star Sapphirex, Soul of the Rain, emverolemina, hend, 'orange-ideas', icedprincess9114, anonymous (anon). _Hope you like this chapter!! Did a lot of brainstorming since I'm currently the pitiful victim of writer's block!

XXX

**Chapter Eight**

Momma's Boy

XXX

The next morning, I was still very exhausted from yesterday's party. I do hate to admit it but I did enjoy dancing with Natsume. It was sort of like a pleasure I haven't experienced in such a long time. After breakfast in the coffee shop downstairs, I went to the internet café to check my e-mail to see if any of my friends actually missed me.

Apparently, my email was flooded with messages. But they were not "I Miss You" messages that I expected, but they were merely "OMG. DID YOU SEE NATSUME?!?!?!!?!" I clicked on one that was from Sumire which had the subject: **REPLY TO THIS EMAIL OR I WILL KILL YOU!!!! **

**Dear Mikan, **

No, I do not miss you. I'm just asking WHY AREN'T YOU REPLYING TO THE REST OF MY E-MAILS?!?!?!?! How is it over there in Tokyo, by the way? Do you still like Ruka? Or have you fallen in love with Natsume? Nah. Just joking. REMEMBER TO MAKE NATSUME SIGN THE SCRAPBOOK. Please, I beg of you – think of the pitiful people back at home who just wish to touch Ruka or Natsume (mostly Natsume's) hand.

-Sumire-

PS: DO NOT FORGET OR I WILL KILL YOU.

I laughed to myself but at the same time shuddered at Sumire's threatening words. I clicked 'COMPOSE' and began writing a reply to Sumire's email.

**Dear Permy, **

Tokyo is great!!! Ruka…still hot. Hehe. No offense but Natsume is an obnoxious, self-centered freak. Yeah, I always say that but this is for real life. Me? Fallen in love with Natsume!?!? HAHA. You must be joking!!!!!!!! I would NEVER EVER fall in love with that dork.

Yours till I get a kiss from Ruka (hopefully),

Mikan.

XXX

After I sent that message, I received a text message from Natsume. It read:

I'm not through blackmailing you. Go to my apartment now.

Idiot.

I grunted and rolled my eyes, I stood up and went back to my hotel room to put on a sweater. Hotaru was watching a music video upstairs – she was engrossed in some boy band music video with a lot of break dancing and such, I slumped beside her.

"Natsume's blackmailing again. Can you come to the apartment with me?"

"Later. I'm watching a video of All You Ever Want" she replied coldly and continued watching the video, her face expression seemed utterly disturbed when I spoke to her. She then seemed to clear her mind off everything and just listen to the music.

"Okay. But I have to go now," I said going to where the drawers were to fetch a sweater. I picked a nice red one and threw it on. I took my cell phone, some air freshener (to spray on kidnappers' eyes if they get me again) and a wallet and put them inside a pouch, I left the hotel and walked to Natsume's apartment.

I arrived there, the place looking spotless – I sat down on a couch and read the scrapbook that I left there, I laughed at the silly remarks they made on the photographs of Natsume. There wasn't a sound of him in the apartment so I assumed that he was sleeping or something.

Then, he came out with a towel tied around his waist – shirtless. Mikan immeadiately covered her face with the scrapbook as she turned at least a million shades of red.

"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING HERE?!?!" He yelled, acknowledging my presence.

"Um… you told me to come here?" I said, still not looking at him but I could definitely smell the scent of shampoo.

"Yeah I did. But I didn't expect you to come so early!!" Natsume replied, dashing back into the bathroom. I finally removed the scrapbook out of my face. I exhaled and looked at my face in the mirror, I was still pink. Well, who could blame me? It was my first time to see a shirtless boy my age come out of the bathroom (not counting the times I went to beaches… well… I've never actually been to a beach).

He came out wearing pants and a shirt. He combed his hair in front of the mirror near the entrance and glanced at me.

"So…what did you call me here for? I mean…this place is absolutely spotless" I said, looking around the clean apartment.

He came up to me, and grabbed me by the shoulders – he then put his mouth near my ear. My heart began to pound really fast. Was this what he called me for? To…to…

"Cook" he whispered. I wanted to fall down and hit my head on the wooden floor. Mikan, Mikan – Mikan – you're so dumb!! Of course he wanted you to cook and stuff…there wasn't any possibility that you were going to do more than that!!!

"…And why do you want me to cook?" I questioned, clumsily pulling myself out of his grip.

"Because I'm hungry" he replied flatly.

"WHY DON'T YOU COOK FOR YOURSELF?!?!?!" I yelled.

"Because…" he said and took the scrapbook. "There are tabloids willing to take this in" he said, showing the scrapbook to me. I turned pink and nodded. I entered the kitchen and opened the refrigerator. There were lots of vegetables, some beef…hmm… I could probably make beef stew.

I took the beef and boiled it, as I began chopping the vegetables – I heard the door open and close. Who had entered? Probably Ruka. No… if it was Ruka I would hear a small "hum…" Persona? No couldn't be. If it was Persona I would hear "DAMN YOU PERSONA!! GET AWAY FROM HERE!!" But this time, there was no sound whatsoever.

What if it was a paparazzi or something? But that couldn't be… paparazzi WOULDN'T be caught dead in an actor's apartment in broad daylight. What if it was a killer? But it was only eleven. I turned around to get more vegetables and turned back again, there stood…a WOMAN?!?!?!

She was a stout woman with bobbed black hair. She wore Harry Potter-ish glasses and was wearing a pink sweater vest and some black slacks. I stared at her and she stared at me, after a very long staring contest between the two of us… Natsume arrived.

"Darling, who's this girl?" the woman asked, pointing to me as if I was some disgusting freak of nature.

"Nobody. Er… wasn't your flight scheduled for Monday?" Natsume responded.

"Yes. But I missed you so much, darling – I couldn't take it!!" the woman replied, pinching his cheeks. Oh I get it…**IT'S HIS MOM!!!!!**

Trying my best not to laugh, I continued chopping the vegetables. Natsume and his 'mother' were talking and after awhile the woman stared at me again. It was a very disturbing stare and I couldn't concentrate, I accidentally cut my finger with the knife and blood trickled down. I wanted to cry but I just whimpered.

"Oh dear… I think I have a first aid kit in my purse…let me get it"

She bandaged my finger and we stared at each other again like two strangers having déjà vu. She seemed to be examining my face thoroughly and after a few moments, her face lit up with extreme joy.

"OHMYGOD. IT'S YOUR GIRLFRIEND" she squealed. Natsume's face fell at this remark and shook his head. "Nah. It's some girl I'm blackmailing"

"NATSUME, HONEY!! YOU SHOULDN'T BLACKMAIL YOUR GIRLFRIEND!!!" Mrs. Hyuuga yelled, she then took my hand and we stood before the stove.

"Dear, what's your name?"

"Umm…Mikan"

"OH HOW WONDERFUL! That means tangerine!! You're so cute… SON! WHY HAVEN'T YOU TOLD ME YOU TWO WERE TOGETHER?"

"Because we're not TOGETHER!!!" Natsume insisted.

Mrs. Hyuuga examined my face again. "Well, at least your better than that Persona" she said and shuddered at the thought of his gay face.

"So Mikan, dear – I'll teach you how to make wonderful beef stew!! Oohh… you haven't cut the potatoes properly…here let me show you how" she said taking my hand.

XXX

She helped me prepare a delicious meal. I sat with the three of them and she continued blabbering about weddings, honeymoons and even CHILDREN.

"I know you children are only fifteen but you must be thinking about your future together. I do know that it is quite early for weddings but do you prefer a big cathedral or just a small wedding in the beach? Oh yes… what do you prefer a cruise around Europe or just a stay at a…oh! I know a great hotel at Greece. We should make arrangements by the time you're eighteen… and oh my gosh…children!! Yes, you're only fifteen but wouldn't a name Shintaro be nice for a boy? Or how about…"

WE'RE FIFTEEN FOR CRYING OUT LOUD. And plus, we're not even…ON!!!

"So what do you think, Mikan?"

"Um… I'm only fifteen" I said softly.

"Oh yes, I understand. But planning ahead is a good way of organization. I have a book of baby names back at home…oh yes! Would you prefer living in the suburbs or will you settle in this apartment? But I believe a fine house near the beach will be an appropriate place to raise a child. Oh my goodness, I should get you a love fern!!!"

"What if it dies?" Natsume asked.

Natsume's mom hissed. "Love will never die"

After lunch and a long talk about marriage, commitment and fine dining… she said that she had to go back to the hotel to fix some things. Oh thank God, I thought.

"Oh wait…before I go…I need a picture of you two kissing!!!"

I blushed.

Natsume fell silent.

"Oh what's the matter? Afraid to kiss your girlfriend in front of yer old mother, are you?" she grinned and took a Polaroid camera out of her bag. "I took lots of baby photos of Natsume when he was smaller… heehee…oh pish posh…let's get on with the photograph!!!"

"Um… I don't feel like kissing!!" I said.

"Oh come on!! You can borrow my lipstick!! It's Chanel!!!" she said taking out a lipstick out of her purse.

"Natsume, what do we do?" I whispered.

Natsume was in deep thought.

All of a sudden, I seemed to have fallen and fell down on Natsume. I ended up sitting on his lap, and his cheek next to mine. I turned pink and I wanted to cry.

A photograph immediately slid out of the camera.

"PERFECT!!" she said and inserted it in her bag.

"Anyway, I'll leave you two alone – you know, to do some boyfriend-girlfriend stuff" she said, winking sinisterly. I avoided her evil eyes and looked down.

I began to feel awkward around Natsume. I left the apartment at four pm. I had no idea why my heart was beating so fast after that thing with Mrs. Hyuuga. I decided to go back to the internet café and Pressed COMPOSE.

Dear Sumire,

I dunno if what I said to you in my last email is correct. I'm confused

-Mikan

XXX

**Author's Note: **OHMYTOSH. Is Mikan starting to fall in love with the one, the only Natsume Hyuuga? But he's a superstar and she's not even close to being one!!!! Gasp!!!


	9. Jealousy and Wine

**Author's Note**

Helloooo!! Hoped you like the last chappie!! So here's my usual thanks to the people who reviewed: _anonymous, Bellie (anon), Natsumesama, hend, simplebutspecial, reviewer who's too lazy to log in, GhiminaRuho, Llamas are Sexy, icedprincess9114, Star Sapphirex, me (anon), natsumeluvr and kukali._ Hope you like this one!!

XXX

**Nine**

Jealousy and Wine

XXX

The next day, after a long beauty sleep in the hotel (since I was super-duper exhausted from yesterday's thing), I spent the day shopping in the department stores. My hotel was surrounded by lots of shopping centers and department stores so I just walked with Hotaru and bought some cute outfits. Hotaru didn't buy much since she said that clothes are just a waste of time and she makes her own clothes.

When mid-afternoon fell, Ruka told me that there was going to be a party tonight in Tokyo Media Industries for Persona's birthday and we were invited. I dressed up in a yellow halter top, a red mini skirt and put on my new yellow Converse sneakers. Hotaru dressed up in a blue off-shoulder shirt dress and white pants. She looked much prettier than me when we both looked at the mirror.

We always go to the Celebrity Lounge first. When were arrived, Ruka was there watching the home shopping network. They were featuring this product that was called a TV Pillow and Ruka was dialing the home shopping network number on the phone hastily as if her were a rabbit running away from a fox.

"Where's Natsume?

"Oh, he's picking up Ayame" Ruka responded sadly, he had just found out that the home shopping network number was temporarily disconnected. He changed to the children's channel and watched some mascots dance with three-year olds.

"Who's Ayame?" I asked. Assuming that it was his cousin, sister, Persona's slave or whatever.

"Um, his girlfriend. But don't tell – he wants to keep it **PRIVATE**. And he doesn't want his mom to know either…so just keep quiet about it okay?!?!"

The moment he said those words, I fell into a black hole.

No, I'm not IN LOVE with him if that's what you think. And don't you dare think I'm in the stage of denial either. I just don't believe that somebody would be attracted to a hot…wait… obnoxious…**hot**…no…selfish…**hot**…

Before I could finish my mental stammers, the door opened. A beautiful girl about my age entered. She had black, long and wavy hair that fell to her bottom. Magnificent green eyes and fair skin, she was wearing a breathtaking polka-dot cocktail dress and some high heels. She looked everything that I was…

_**Not. **_

Natsume entered as well. His arm was around her waist just like boyfriend and girlfriend. I tried not to look and I just faced the television, probably just to take away the depressing thoughts by drowning myself in insane nursery rhymes.

"Who's this?" Ayame asked, staring at me disgustingly from head to toe.

"Mikan Sakura" I responded quickly, standing up and shaking her hand.

"Charmed…I'm Ayame Riyuki " she said sarcastically and wrapped herself around Natsume once more.

"You didn't tell me you had a girlfriend" I said impatiently, glaring at Natsume. Oh God, I was acting like a wife whos husband came home late with his mistress. UGH. This was so annoying.

"I keep it private. I have this kind of technique to shut people who know up. Even my mom doesn't know, which is why she presumed that were together yesterday"

Ayame gasped. "She thought this drowned rat was your…" and then she started laughing her head off. **SHE WAS SO ANNOYING I WANTED HER TO DIE.**

But she was so beautiful. She was so fixed up. She was probably wearing Chanel or Christian Dior make up, she was probably wearing Mikimoto pearls, she was probably wearing expensive foreign clothes with brand names that are difficult to pronounce. While I, Mikan Sakura was wearing nothing but chocolate flavored lip gloss, plastic rainbow shaped earrings and a tacky department store outfit. She probably doesn't even BUY in department stores…she probably gets its specially made or goes to Europe or America to buy them!!! I HATE HER.

Most of all. She had **Natsume**.

STUPID.

I'm just joking.

Persona's birthday party was about to begin. Ruka turned off the television and all of us went downstairs. I wanted to DIE when Ayame said that she and Natsume would take the next elevator PRIVATELY. What were they gonna do there?!?! Make out?!!?!? But Ruka told me that Natsume wasn't that disgusting and he was more of a respectful person. Still, I didn't believe him.

Why was I so jealous?

We arrived at the top floor where Persona's party was. It was SUCH a cute party. There were pink streamers everywhere, pink curtains hanging on the windows, pink satin tablecloth, gold utensils, pink wine glasses and there was going to be a band playing…the instruments were pink. Persona was handing out leaflets on tonight's program.

8:30 – Welcoming Remarks, Persona's Fashion Show.

9:00 – Dinner

9:30 – Persona sings duet with The Cherry Girls.

10:00 – Persona's Salon: Persona shows how to fix funky hair styles

10:30: Dance!! Dance!!

11:00 – Persona and Make Up

11:30 – Persona sings duet with The Morning Stars

12:00 – Do Whatever You Like

The program was awfully tacky. Although I know Persona would be the life of the party. Persona was wearing a pink suit with a necktie that said: **IM GAY AND IM PROUD**. He was wearing those hot pink boots again, but this time there were purple ribbons tied to it.

Natsume and that…that..AYAME of his arrived. Persona handed them leaflets and they sat beside us. Ayame was discussing how much she loved Natsume and how nice he kisses. Natsume just rolled his eyes while I, stabbed the table with my fork.

The night was not as great as I expected since Ayame had to ruin it by dancing. **SHE WAS SUCH A SUCK-UP. **_I WANT HER TO DIE SO SHE CAN GO TO HELL. _After that, she completely murdered me when she told Natsume to kiss her to project their love. THAT'S WHEN I GOT EXTREMELY PISSED.

"_EXCUSE ME!!!"_ I yelled and stood up, I was so ticked off. I stomped off to the buffet table and scooped up big amounts of food on my plate. I went back to our table, where everybody was speechless and I started munching down food like a caveman.

Everybody was staring at me.

"WHAT ARE YOU STARING AT?!?!?! EXCUSE A GIRL FOR EATING!!" I said, spitting out some chicken on Ayame's face, she wiped it off with her finger and threw it on someone's margarita.

"Mikan, shut up. We're in a **celebrity party** here" Hotaru whispered angrily at me. I gulped down some wine and glared at her. "SO WHAT? It's not like their royalty!! It's not like they're my boyfriend or something!!" I said, spitting out wine on the table. People stared at my behaviour and whispered things like "omg. She must be a rabid kid" or something like that.

As I embarrassed myself further, Hotaru whispered something in Ruka's here. Something that sounded like _"Mikan's getting too pissed with this plan. I think we have to move on to save her from further embarrassment" _

At that point…

Ruka kissed me.

It was a five-second kiss. I seemed to have waken up from my insane episode and go back to the real world. Ruka leaned back with a i-have-done-the-best-thing-in-the-world look pasted on his face. He sipped some water and grinned at Hotaru who looked simply flustered. She whispered a "_I didn't mean that_" in his ear. I glanced at Natsume who had just broken a wine glass. I have no idea why the hell he did that, I mean – all I did was scream in front of everyone, pour an enormous serving of food on my plate and practically embarrass me and my friends – but not something as wild as that. Gawd.

"You didn't have to do that" Natsume uttered, glaring at Ruka. His fists were clenched and he stabbed the table with his SPOON (I mean, you can't exactly stab something with that kind of a blunt utensil).

"Why, are you jealous?" I grinned.

Natsume roared at me like a lion.

I laughed to myself and drank some more wine.

"BUURRRRRRR!!!" I yelled. Yes, I was completely drunk. I drank wine from the moment we arrived at the party. I poured myself an eighth glass and toasted to the sweat-dropping people. I drank one third of it and spilled the rest on the floor. I got on the dance floor and started dancing a very unusual dance. As I pranced around the floor with a wine bottle – I wasn't aware that I was now the center of attention, and that wasn't good.

"WEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEHHHHHH!!"

After dancing, I got up on stage and started mimicking the sound of a blow dryer. I could see from my very blurry vision that Hotaru was hitting her head on the table now. I smiled, exhausted from all my dancing, I started getting dizzy and I fell on the floor, welcoming sleep.

I could hear the faint laughs of people. Then, I felt someone carry me. He was so warm and he was so gentle. As I nuzzled his arm, I felt him grow hot. He was probably blushing…the silly-billy guy.

I heard Ruka, Hotaru, Natsume and that moron Ayame enter the celebrity lounge. And then afterwards, I dozed off to full sleep.

"I think I better get going" Ayame said, walking out the door. "Thanks for the fun night guys. See you in the morning!!" she smiled and closed the door.

"Natsume, that's the cheapest thing you've ever done"

"What are you talking about?"

"What I'M talking about is YOU inviting your classmate in acting class to act as your girlfriend just to make Mikan jealous"

Natsume grunted.

"Are you mad at me for kissing her?"

Natsume grunted.

"NATSUME LIKES MIKAN!!!"

"Shaddap"

I slightly opened my eyes. What did they say? Who likes who?

Then, afterwards – I heard two people go out of the room. And then, I felt someone sit beside me and just…stay with me.

I wonder who it was.

XXX

**Author's Note**

There ya have Chapter Nine! Such a silly chapter, ne? Hoped you enjoyed it, regardless of its stupidity. RxR!!! Thankees!!!


	10. The Start of Popularity

**Author's Note**

THANK YOU FOR REVIEWING. I haven't gotten this much reviews since my last story 'Love from A Hundred Miles' So I'll do my usual 'thanks introduction' Thank you for reviewing chapter nine: rocketandroll, YingLang4eva, GhiminaRuho, Queen of Ze Tamad (Rayne)…haha! Go Rayneeee!!!, Hikari the Keyblade of Hope, Natsumesama, natsumeluvr, Catgurl101, winglessfairy25, Star Sapphirex, simplebutspecial, me (anon), black cat girl 2006, hend, justagirl, reviewer who's too lazy to log in, Rikku418 (anon) and 'orange-ideas'. Your reviews are super-duper triple wipple helpful to meee!!! Hope you like this chapter!! And if my mind doesn't stop churning, **_THERE WILL BE MANY MORE CHAPTERS TO COME!!_** D

XXX

Chapter Ten

**The Start of Popularity**

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I woke up in the Celebrity Lounge. It was raining outside and I could hear the tiny pitter-patters of rain outside the window. The raindrops slithered down the window pain and disappeared from sight. The sky was gray and overcast and the trees were resisting the wind.

I rubbed my eyes and checked the wall clock… it was nine o' clock in the morning. I sat up and stretched. To my surprise, Natsume was lying down on the sofa as well – although I hadn't noticed. Was he the one who carried me up to the Celebrity Lounge and sat next to me? Turning scarlet, I stood up dizzily – still hung over from last night's wine.

I went to the bathroom and stared at the mirror. My eyes had all these dry things stuck to it so I rubbed it out. I washed my face and combed my knotty unconditioned hair and exited the bathroom. It was raining so I couldn't go back to the hotel to change and I had no umbrella.

I opened the television and surfed the channels. I didn't want to watch the Children's Channel since they were showing mascots dancing around a fire singing the Indian alphabet. The Home Shopping Network was featuring a lamp that could fly. Pretty useless I thought. There were some movies but they were also uninteresting so I changed the channel once more. There was the show called Tokyo Today about celebrities. I began to watch.

"_And so today's main topic is ALL about the stars of Tokyo's hottest sitcom My Favorite Loser. The stars Ruka Nogi and Natsume Hyuuga were seen in Persona's birthday party last night. Who is the mystery girl who seemed to have captured the stars' hearts? Ruka had kissed her and Natsume carried her after she collapsed on the floor!!! Our paparazzi are searching all over Tokyo for this wannabe Cinderella! Back to you, Ken" _

Then a video clip of **ME **holding a wine bottle, face red and hair frizzed dancing on the dance floor, and then after awhile collapsing. There were also photographs being flashed of pictures of Ruka and I kissing in different angles and pictures of Natsume carrying me as I slept. **I WANTED TO DISSAPEAR FROM THE FACE OF THE EARTH. **

The Celebrity Lounge or Tokyo Media Industries will be the first place to look for me. I ran downstairs and to the street. I ignored the double-takes and the unusually loud whispers. I wanted to cry. This was the most embarrassing thing for me.

I reached the hotel room and slumped on the couch. Hotaru was watching the Home Shopping Network again.

"I saw you on TV" she told me calmly.

I grunted.

"This teaches you not to drink too much. You're ruining your reputation"

"Is it only a local show and not broadcasted around Japan?"

"Tokyo Today is very popular. I've watched it back at home. Some of our classmates probably saw you"

"If they saw the photograph of Natsume carrying me…they'll kick me out of the fan club…or worse…they'll kick me out of their friendship!!!" I shrieked.

"Well," Hotaru said, spooning some her room service into her mouth. "It's your problem and not mine"

"B-but you're my best friend…you have to help me!!" I cried.

Hotaru just walked to the bathroom.

**BEST FRIENDS DO NOT WALK OUT ON EACH OTHER. **

**ESPECIALLY WHEN YOUR BEST FRIEND IS BEING HUNTED DOWN BY PAPARAZZI. **

I noticed there was a small envelope on the table. It was addressed to me. "Hotaru, what's this?" I shouted. "Oh…some girl came over here and told me to give it to you!!!"

**CELEBRITY JAPS MAGAZINE**

Dear Mikan Sakura,

Yes. We know who you are. We have seen your photographs on television and some of our photographers have seen you walking with some of the stars of the sitcom 'My Favorite Loser'. We would like to offer you to be our cover girl for this month's issue with Ruka Nogi and Natsume Hyuuga. Please drop by Fashion Japs Studio for your first photo shoot before next week anytime.

**Hana Kenshii**

**EDITOR IN CHIEF **

My heart leapt. Celebrity Japs was one of the hottest girls magazines in Japan. I've always dreamt to be a cover girl and I have collected all the issues, followed the style tips and even wrote to the advice column last April. As I clutched the letter, my heart was pounding as fast as it could. This was a dream come true, I completely forgot about the whole gossip amongst the tabloids and Tokyo Today.

At that moment, I got a text message from Ruka:

_Hey did you get the offer from Celebrity JapsMagazine? It's not really cool for a guy to pose for a girl's magazine but I'm going to go for it. Anyway, we're going to be paid one million yen. If you want, I'll pick you up with Natsume later at three. _

I grinned. Being a cover girl was so exciting!! Especially went you're not even famous and you appear **JUST LIKE THAT**. At quarter to three, I took a shower. I used the delicious smelling hotel shampoo and sprayed myself with cologne. I put on a plain back t-shirt, jeans and blue clogs. I braided my hair into a pony tail and put on blueberry lip gloss. I grinned at my adequate appearance in the mirror.

Hotaru didn't go because she told me that there was nothing more useless aside from My Favorite Loser than being a cover girl for Celebrity Japs .

I waited in the lobby and then the limousine came for me.

"Where's Hotaru?" Ruka asked me as soon as I got in.

"She's lazy" I told him

Ruka's face fell. I raised my eyebrow. Was he starting to like her?

I didn't talk to Natsume. I didn't know what to say to him. He just stared out the window, and the only thing I could hear that was coming from him was his breathing. **Why was he so quiet? **

Before I could strike up a decent conversation with him, we stopped by the Celebrity Japs Studio. As we entered the red brick building, the smell of expensive imported shampoos and conditioner, the powdery scent of costly blush, lipstick, eyeliner, foundation and cover-up swam in the air and the angry sound of a hair dryer.

I loved the smell of pineapple shampoo. I passed by a rack of different facial products. There was a white corner with lights surrounding it. That must be the place where we're going to have our photo shoot.

"Mikan…Mikan Sakura?" a woman with pale blond hair shrieked. She ran up to us. She was wearing a red dress with three-inch black high heels. She had blue, pretty eyes that were masked by square shaped glasses and a horrible color of lipstick.

She examined my face closely. "Ah, yes you're Mikan. My name is Ms. Hana Kenshii – the editor in chief of Celebrity Japs. You must know the magazine…do you?" she said, eyeing me as if I was a guilty person.

I nodded. "Oh yes I do… in fact…"

Hana clapped her hands. "MAKE UP! HAIR!!"

A crowd of people surrounded me as they pushed me on a chair and started doing my hair and makeup. The clicking sound of the camera was stressing me out. I smelled the plastic smell of hairspray and I tasted the bitter taste of expensive lip stick. "Shut your eyes" someone told me. I did as I was told and I felt a small brush swipe across my eyelids. Eye shadow probably…

I haven't gotten this prettied up since my aunt's wedding. That was when I was four years old. My next was probably going to be when I was going to have my prom. But I'm only a sophomore. But I'm getting all pampered up right at this very moment.

I stared at myself on the mirror as they swung me towards it. My plain hazelnut colored hair now was curled. My face had pink blush-on. I had black eyeliner around my eyes and false eyelashes. My eye shadow was violet and my lipstick was pinkish red. I grinned to myself as my hair bounced as I moved.

"DO NOT TOUCH IT!!" A hairstylist snapped. A man walked up to me and threw some clothes on my arms.

"Put this on" he said coldly and ushered me to the dressing room. Yeah I put it on – but I was definitely PISSED with the way the people were treating me here. I stared at my appearance. I was so beautiful. It was a short red dress that ended in my knees with a black sash around my waist. I slipped on the shoes they thrust at me as well. They were black wedges with pearls sewed on to the straps. They were so beautiful… **but not as beautiful as me… **

I got out of the dressing room, Natsume and Ruka were already dressed up. Natsume was wearing this vintage-looking casual tee and gray jeans. He looked kinda…well… okay-looking. Ruka on the other hand was wearing a green polo and white pants. Secretly, **they were both hot. **

Ruka went up to me. "Is it your first time to have a photo shoot?"

I smiled. "Does elementary graduation picture count?"

He laughed. That meant 'no'

Ms. Kenshii clapped her hands, signaling us to go to her. We followed her to where the photo shoot was. She lead us to the corner surrounded with lights. They have placed a gigantic blue background in the back and the floor was covered with pillows.

We were told to sit on the pillows. They were very comfortable, as I made myself comfy – feathers flew out of the pillow cases. I can't believe I was going to have my first MAGAZINE PHOTO SHOOT!!!

"Okay, Ms. Mikan – I want you to lie down on Natsume's lap with your feet on Ruka's" the photographer told us.

**I must've heard wrong. **

"I'm sorry. Can you repeat that? I thought you said that I had to lie down on Natsume's lap…" I said, my voice quivering.

"That's exactly what I said" he replied dryly.

"But…but…"

"No buts!! If you want to model you have to deal with whatever position you are told do!!!" The photographer snapped.

My face fell.

"Do what you're told, stupid" Natsume whispered.

I stared at his lap hesitantly.

"JUST DO IT!!!" The photographer yelled.

I whimpered and did I was told. I lay down on Natsume's lap and faced the camera, I could feel him breathing and I could feel his body heat. I didn't care much about putting my feet on Ruka since it was just my feet. I would glance at Natsume often to see what he was doing. He was looking at the camera as if he was pissed. He looked kinda cute when he looked pissed.

After about fifty shoots – we were asked to go into this room where we would be interviewed. They asked me silly questions like "Are you in any intimate relationship with Natsume or Ruka?" - most of my answers would be 'no' since most of the questions would be involved in romance.

After the day was done, they gave me a check worth 45,000,000 yen. My heart leapt as I imagined how much money I would get just for that measly photo shoot.

I got back to the hotel after dinner in the Celebrity Lounge. The photographer had sent copies of the pictures he took. They were in different angles. Most of the photographs looked the same. (there was a photograph of me with closed eyes). But there was one photograph that the camera was angled in such a complicated way, that in the photograph…it was me and Natsume only seen – and I was glancing at Natsume.

I turned slight pink.

I kinda like that photograph…**_very much. _**

XXX

**Author's Note: **Hope you like this chapter. In the following chapters, Mikan will be on her way to stardom. Hope to see more reviews!! If you'd like to give me any suggestions for the story – please include it in your review or send me a PM if you like.

XXX


	11. Natsume's New Rival

**AUTHOR'S NOTE**

Another update… I'm tamad (lazy) to put my usual 'thanks to the people who reviewed' list so just **_thanks to everyone who reviewed or even just read. _**Hope you like this chapter. Oh btw, I read from this site that there are 54 episodes of Gakuen Alice, so surely there will be a second season.

**DISCLAIMER**

I'm disclaiming, I'm disclaiming!

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**-Chapter Eleven- **

Natsume's New Rival

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Kaito Hyuuga. (**Author's Note**: To those who read my story: Blind Hope. Kaito makes an appearance there also – although her doesn't play Natsume's brother like in this fan fic)

Kaito Hyuuga is Natsume's brother. He is a celebrity like Natsume but he is in the music business. He is a pop idol and is one of the chart-topping singers in Japan. His voice is very mesmerizing and it's fun to forget your problems and get lost in his music. Kaito has auburn hair and blue eyes – although he's not as good looking as Natsume. But at least the tabloids say he actually SIGNS autographs.

I was extremely thrilled when I walked into the Celebrity Lounge and saw him playing his guitar while sitting on a bean bag. I closed my eyes and listened to his soothing voice. He was singing his new single 'Under the Mango Tree'. I loved that song. As I opened my eyes, I saw him looking at me. He was so good-looking.

"Liked the song?" he smiled. I nodded and sat down on the couch beside him.

"The song wouldn't be nice if you weren't singing it" I replied. His face looked like it was carved by angels.

"Mikan Sakura" I said, extending my hand. He shook it.

"Yeah, I saw you in the news…are you having the hots for Natsume?"

I shook my head. "No" I replied reluctantly and smoothed my skirt. Natsume walked in. He was wearing a polo that was slightly unbuttoned, revealing a bit of his chest and denim jeans.

"What are you doing here?" was his usual 'hello' to me.

"Socializing with your **POLITE** brother" I hissed. HE WAS SO RUDE.

He grunted and glanced at Kaito angrily.

"What? It's not my fault that I happened to be the guest-star of My Favorite Loser this episode"

"You're the guest star?" I squealed excitedly.

"Yeah… I'm playing Natsume's long-lost brother…even though… I am already"

I laughed. He was such a charismatic person.

Mr. Jonathan Yamida, the producer of My Favorite Loser entered the Celebrity Lounge starry-eyed. He took me by the shoulders and shook my repetitively.

"You are wonderful, my girl!!" he giggled. It was very disturbing when he giggled.

"Um…thank you?"

He fished out a photograph of Natsume, Ruka and I from the photo shoot yesterday. He hugged it and turned to me. "You were born to be a star"

"But it's just a photograph…"

"Yes, I know it's JUST a photograph. But the photographer told me that when he was going home from work yesterday, a few of his photographs fell out of his suitcase and some people managed to see it. The magazine and the rest of the pictures are on DEMAND, my girl. ON DEMAND… the people want it…they see something special in you"

Before I could reply, he threw a folder on me. I opened the folder and it said: **CONTRACT **

"Ummm…what's this for?"

"We see something special in you too…" the producer smiled.

"_**We're going to put you in our main cast"**_

What did he say?

I was stunned. **_THEY WERE GOING TO PUT ME ON THE MAIN CAST OF MY FAVORITE LOSER?!?!!?!?_**

I think I just died.

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"I cannot possibly imagine – you being a celebrity" Hotaru told me over dinner.

"I'll be playing Kasumi Miyanoshita. Isn't that great? But the best part of being an actress is that I WONT BE GOING TO SCHOOL!!!"

"Well, school is not making a difference to your IQ anyway" Hotaru said dryly and popped a celery stick into her mouth. I'm not sure if that was a compliment or an insult.

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Memorizing my lines wasn't a walk in the park. I had so much lines! I wasn't used to memorizing lines because I didn't participate in school festivals, class plays or debates. I sat uncomfortably on the bean bag of the Celebrity Lounge as I read through the thick script nervously. Damnations.

Suddenly, Kaito came in with his guitar. He smiled as he saw me lie down like a stretched cat on the bean bag, listening to my Ipod while memorizing my lines.

"Memorizing lines?" he said, sitting down next to me.

I nodded solemnly and went back to listening to my music.

"You know you can never memorize your script if you just keep on listening to your Ipod,"

I ignored him.

"What are you listening to anyway?"

**BEAUTIFUL DAYS**

**Kaito Hyuuga**

"I didn't know you like my music" he grinned.

"I don't really like it. My friend downloaded it for me"

He listened with me.

"You're so cute, you know that - Mikan?"

I removed my headphones. "What?"

"I said…you're so cute!!"

_**A CELEBRITY FINDS ME CUTE?!?!?!!? **_

"Thank you…?"

"Hey, what do you say we go out tonight. Just the two of us…"

"Like on a date?"

**Oh gawd. I'm so stupid. Of course on a date. **

"Yeah. With Hotaru and Ruka if you like"

"How about Natsume?"

"Who cares about him?"

I kept quiet.

"So… you want to go out on a date?"

I smiled.

"Yeah sure, Kaito. I'd love to go out with you!"

"Okay, I'll pick you up later at six. We can do WHATEVER you want"

_**I'm going on a date…**_

_**With Natsume's brother**_

_**That didn't sound right. **_

Who cares? I guess Kaito is kinda cute!!

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**Author's Note:**

Mikan is going out with Natsume's brother. How will Natsume feel about it?! What if Kaito wants to become the BOYFRIEND of Mikan?!?! Natsume doesn't care… does he? Find out in the next chapters of MY FAVORITE LOSER!!!

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	12. Rukaru Moment, A Date with Kaito

**Author's Note**

Hey people!! Another update!! This chapter is mainly about Mikan going out with Kaito and Natsume getting pissed off about it. But don't worry, HotaruxRuka fans – in this chapter, I convinced Hotaru not to be lazy and rise from her laziness. There will be a Rukaru moment in this chapter, as well as a Natsumikan with pissing interruptions of Kaito. Thanks to the people who reviewed Chapters 10 to 11:

Oh yeah, before I continue on with the story – here's Kaito's profile:

**Name: **Kaito Hyuuga

**Age: 17 **(older than Natsume)

**Occupation: **Japan's chart-topping pop idol as of the moment. He was part of the band called 'Silver Lining' when he was 15 but he eventually left it to go on a solo career.

**Personality: **Kaito is a gentleman. He is the dream date of any girl and will win the heart of anyone with his gentleman charm. BUT – yes there's a but, not everyone is perfect right? A scandalous secret will be revealed in the upcoming chapters!!

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**Chapter Twelve**

Rukaru Moment, A Date with Kaito

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Natsume's Apartment

8:00 am

The raven-haired fifteen year old walked down the stairs to the kitchen to make himself a cup of coffee. He found his brother, laughing hysterically at a defrosted chicken in the sink. Natsume paid no attention to this because this was normal for his brother to be laughing at inanimate objects with no particular reason. He went to the coffee maker to make himself a cup.

"What's the matter now?" he asked, pouring some coffee into a cup. There was no response, just another chuckle jolted out of his mouth and he returned the defrosted chicken into the refrigerator. He turned to Natsume and grinned smugly, he sat down on a chair and raised an eyebrow.

Natsume just stared at him disgustingly as if Kaito was Persona and gulped down some coffee.

"I have a date" Kaito blurted and stood up and headed for the freezer to get the chicken once more.

"So?"

"Guess who's it with!!!"

"Persona"

Kaito just stared at him.

"I knew you guys were meant to be" Natsume muttered sarcastically.

"Oh shut up!! It's with Mikan!!"

The cup of coffee fell on the floor and shattered into a thousand pieces, making the delicious bitter coffee spill all over the floor and Kaito smile even more.

"Somebody is jealous"

"I'm not jealous" Natsume smirked.

"Oh whatever, man. I'm just gonna take a shower" Kaito laughed and went out of the kitchen.

Natsume glared at the door and kicked the door of the oven.

"**DAMN KAITO!!" **

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Tokyo Palace Hotel

6:00 pm

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_Mikan's POV_

I was kinda excited for my date with Kaito. He texted me saying we'll be eating in somewhere fancy. I didn't have much fancy clothes anymore so I just wore my blue dress that I wore the other day. I curled my hair and put blueberry lip gloss. I put a bit of pink eye shadow and put a flower barrette on my hair which was now curly.

Hotaru was going to go out as well. Ruka told her that they would be double-dating with Kaito and I in the same restaurant. She just dressed up in jeans and a halter top and clogs. She didn't exactly care whether the place was fancy or not. She **was just in there for the kill**.

The door bell rang. I opened the door and Kaito stood there wearing a nice suit and a bouquet of flowers. As he stepped into the hotel room, the wonderful scent of dandelions, roses, lavender, marigold and defrosted chicken (which was very unusual because I checked the bouquet and there was no defrosted chicken in the wonderful wrap of flowers…it was probably one of the men's perfume that's expensive and imported with a designer name that I cannot possibly pronounce).

Ruka stepped into the room as well. He was wearing a much more casual attire but with a bouquet of flowers as well…and this time in his bouquet… there was no ugly smell of defrosted chicken. Lucky Hotaru.

"Don't be cheesy" Hotaru said, grabbing the flowers from Ruka and staring at it emotionlessly.

After a few more prettying-up, we went downstairs and Kaito called the chauffeur.

"What's Natsume doing?" I asked out of the blue. **Didn't have a clue why I asked this. **

"Being pissed" Kaito chuckled. It was a very girlish chuckle and it disturbed me.

"Why?"

Kaito just smiled.

The chauffeur came in and Kaito and I entered.

Hotaru was about to enter when Ruka blocked the door.

"I heard of gentlemen opening the door but not blocking it" Hotaru remarked.

"Um… let's take my car" Ruka smiled nervously.

"Why?"

"So that the couple could have time alone…"

"Mikan doesn't even like Kaito…she likes N…"

"Hotaru…" Ruka said, grabbing Hotaru's hand and lead her to the parking lot where his car was.

Hotaru blushed inwardly and pulled away from his grip.

"**Don't touch me" **she hissed coldly, but with a touch of awkwardness in her voice.

Ruka started his car. It was a silver Ferrari with a personalized plate number that said: **PYON285**

Hotaru entered the seat next to the drivers' seat as they exited the parking lot.

After a long pause between the two of them (Hotaru was too busy taking photos of Tokyos' buildings). Hotaru turned to Ruka and took a photo of him. "WHAT?" Ruka yelled, his car crashed into a tree in an empty lot and the two of them fell out of the Ferrari. Smoke emerged out of the hood of the car and there was an ugly dent on the hood, the glass was smashed and Ruka stared at it in horror.

Hotaru was just simply emotionless.

"M-my car…"

"Your fault" Hotaru said and took a photo of the tree.

Ruka stared at her sadly and just looked at the watch. "Kaito and Mikan must be waiting for us at the restaurant already"

"Aren't you angry? I'd be blackmailing you if I was in your position"

Ruka just smiled at her. "Walking is better"

"You're strange"

"After all, in a car – you'll be preoccupied with taking photographs and just facing the window. At least by walking, we can have a decent conversation"

Hotaru just stared at him.

She turned slightly pink and concealed her color by covering her face with her Nikkon camera and snapped candid photos.

"YOU BLACKMAILER!!"

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"Where's Hotaru and Ruka?" I asked, looking out the window after I ordered my food.

"I don't know" Kaito said and put down his menu. He called the waiter and ordered some kind of soup.

My food arrived. It was a wonderful looking chicken glazed in honey, orange and lemon. It was delicious looking and the aroma was absolutely hypnotizing. I cut a piece and popped it into my mouth. YUMMY…

"I like you, Mikan" Kaito smiled.

I choked on my piece of chicken. I hit my chest five times before it got down my throat.

"W-what?"

"I said…I like you Mikan"

I gulped down some water.

"Thanks"

"Well…that wasn't the kind of response I'd be expecting" Kaito said, looking down sadly.

"Um…I like you too" I smiled, can't standing to see a guy sad.

The front door of the restaurant opened and slammed. Boy, the one who entered must probably be…

**-NATSUME- **

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"How far is the restaurant by walking?" Hotaru asked.

"Um…by car it's fifteen minutes"

"So by foot its probably twenty" Hotaru grunted. They have been walking for around five minutes now on the sidewalk, trying not to inhale the gaseous fumes and avoid stepping on pale looking gum. Unfortunately, Ruka stepped on a sad looking tomato and looked at his shoes in disgust. After that, they continued walking.

"I'm getting kinda thirsty" Ruka said.

"Then drink. That is probably the most sensible thing to do"

They came across a pretty-looking stall that was selling bottles of orange cola. Ruka bought one and opened the cap. He drank heartily and smacked his orange lips with satisfaction. Hotaru looked at the bottle hungrily.

"Are you thirsty?" Ruka asked, noticing her hungry eyes.

Hotaru shook her head.

"Oh whatever. I'll check my wallet if I have any more money" Ruka said and fished out his wallet. There was nothing but ten yen. The orange cola was twenty yen. Hotaru checked her coin purse and there was nothing but a feather inside. She didn't know how the feather got there, but it was there.

They looked for more orange cola stalls but the only shops that were there were boutiques. And boutiques do not sell orange cola.

"Here, you can drink a bit" Ruka said, offering her the bottle.

"I don't believe in sharing saliva, thank you very much"

"Come on, you're thirsty"

Hotaru gazed lovingly at the bottle of Orange Cola.

"Here," Ruka said – wiping the tip of the bottle where he drank with his handkerchief. He gave it to Hotaru who just looked at it.

"Drink," Ruka said. "It's the most sensible thing to do when you're looking at a bottle of Orange Cola"

Hotaru drank.

**Why does he have to be damn nice? **

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"N-Natsume what are you doing here?" Mikan smiled nervously, noticing the pissed looking eyes that were glaring at Kaito from the next table.

"None of your business" he spat.

"You don't mind if I'm dating your girlfriend, do you?"

"She's not my girlfriend. I even pity you. You're dating a cow"

"Then why did you come to this restaurant in the first place?"

Natsume was speechless.

"I don't care" was all he said.

"Then if you don't care…" Kaito said, grabbing me by the soldiers and planting a kiss (it tasted like defrosted chicken, I certainly didn't enjoy it).

"Will you be my girlfriend, Mikan?"

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**Keep the reviews coming! **


	13. An Abnormal Obsession

**AUTHOR'S NOTE**

Another update everybody! I really hope that you liked Chapter 12. Right now, I'm not tamad (lazy) to write my special thanks to the people who have reviewed. So thanks to: _simplebutspecial, Fullmoon05, YingLang4eva, Star Sapphirex, Catgurl101, Typh, Chiberei, glenda23, me (anon), may520, black cat girl 2006, Orange Orange, 'orange-ideas', anime-fangirl-o.0-vm, Acidia Paranoia, SweetMelancholy, michiy0, rocketandroll canrolii, winglessfairy25, facadephazzad, GluttonWithAnorexicTurnout, Ghiminaruho, natsumexmikan, Hikari the Keyblade of Hope, lilli123, emverolemina, Royal Cerulean. _Thanks everybody! It's so nice to see that someone's enjoying the ficcy.

**DISCLAIMER**

I do not own Gakuen Alice.

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**Chapter Thirteen**

An Abnormal Obsession

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"Will you be my girlfriend, Mikan?"

I froze. What could I say? We just met and he's already asking me to be his girlfriend!!! His earnest eyes stared at me like a puppy dog begging for a bone. I stared at him and glanced at Natsume who's face expression was painted with a: **Kaito-you-damn-defrosted-chicken-lover. **I took a deep breath and drank some more water.

The benefits of becoming Kaito's girlfriend would probably be fame, more offers to be a cover-girl for magazines, appearances in commercials, talk shows and guest appearances in other sitcoms – I could have my BIG BREAK by being Kaito's girlfriend!!

But what about Natsume? I looked at him, he was now bending a fork and I could feel intense heat coming from his body. I turned away nervously and looked at Kaito's pleading face.

"Yeah….sure Kaito…I'll be your g-g-girl friend…"

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"It's past dinner" Hotaru said, checking her watch. It read 9:34

"You want to stop by my apartment for lunch? But before that we have to call a Towing Service to get my car. My apartment is a few blocks from here anyway" Ruka said.

Hotaru rolled her eyes. "Yeah sure"

After calling the Towing Service and making sure the car of Ruka would be towed, he and Hotaru went to Ruka's apartment to have dinner. Ruka heated up some noodles and they ate late dinner.

"You know, Hotaru --- I'm glad that we didn't eat in the restaurant after all"

Hotaru choked on a noodle. "Why? Because you'd rather spend time with me? Seriously… stop being cheesy, alright?"

Ruka gave her a weird look. "I wasn't going to say that. I was going to say that I'd be pissed with Kaito because he'd be talking about defrosted chicken…"

Hotaru blushed inwardly. What gave me that stupid cheesy idea, anyway? She thought and shook her head and continued to eat.

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"Natsume? Natsume? Are you angry at me?" I asked, as they entered the limousine to drop me at the hotel.

"Shut the hell up"

"What did I do wrong?"

"Why don't you just shut up and talk to your new boyfriend about how you're going to raise your children…or should I say your damn defrosted chickens?!?!?!"

"Are you jealous?" I said, with a raised eyebrow.

"No. I pity my brother, in fact – for asking such a moron to be his girlfriend. And you too – because you're going to marry a defrosted chicken lover"

"KAITO IS NOT A DEFROSTED CHICKEN LOVER!!!" I screeched.

Natsume gave me a dirty looked as we stopped at the hotel.

"Good night, Natsume…Good night, Kaito"

At that moment, Kaito kissed me again. It tasted like defrosted chicken once more and I wanted to throw up.

"Good night, Natsume!!" I repeated.

Natsume slammed the limousine door and drove off. **HE'S SUCH A RUDE GUY. I HATE HIM. I HATE HIM. I HATE HIM. I HATE HIM. I JUST WANNA KILL HIM **

"AND KAITO IS NOT A DEFROSTED CHICKEN LOVER!!" I yelled at the car and stomped to the lobby.

I entered my hotel room and Hotaru wasn't there yet. I slumped on my bed and my cell phone beeped. I opened my inbox. It was from Kaito:

_Hey Mikan. I'm so glad that ur my girlfriend. You wanna go on a date tomorrow? Let me know. Oh yeah, add me in ur messenger. My messenger is: raised my eyebrow at his email. Defrostedchicken234? What a pathetic username. But still, he's my boyfriend after all and I should respect his…hobbies and interests._

_Ok. Pick me up at lunch time, if dats ok wid u. _

I sighed and went to the bathroom to take a shower. My phone beeped again. It was from Natsume:

_You're a damn loser. _

I wanted to crush my phone. I replied to his text:

_Die you pervert. _

As I took a shower, I thought to myself. Maybe it won't be so bad to have a defrosted-chicken loving boyfriend after all.

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When I woke up, Hotaru was already sleeping in the other bed. I stretched and shook her. "Go away" she muttered.

I went to my dresser and got some jeans and a white t-shirt. I pony-tailed my hair and went downstairs to have breakfast. As I stepped to the café, I noticed this tiny man was snapping photographs of me. I turned to him and he grinned sheepishly at me.

"Excuse me, what are you doing?"

"I'm a photographer. And everyone's paying to see YOU without makeup"

"What the hell are you talking about?"

"Mikan Sakura…you're a celebrity now!!"

Oh yeah, I forgot about that.

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At lunch time, I waited for the limousine to pick me up. But then a bus stopped for me and Kaito stepped out. He was wearing a blue shirt and gray jeans. He's SUPER CUTE. He removed his expensive looking shades and winked at me. My heart fluttered and I went up to him, he kissed me on the cheek – he didn't smell like defrosted chicken this time.

"Why…why are we riding a bus?"

"Oh, this is a tour bus!"

"Tour bus? Where are we going?" I asked, as he took my hand and we walked inside the bus.

"You'll see!!"

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**_-THE DEFROSTED CHICKEN LAND-_**

Ohmygod. I'm going to die.

This is too pathetic to be true.

Kaito looked at me. "You digging it?"

I pasted a fake smile on my face. "Yeah…I'm already loving it…"

WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON?!?!?!!?!?!?

He took my hand and both of us went down. The tour guide person told us to be back in two hours. TWO LONG HOURS. DAMNATIONS.

We entered the theme park. There was a carousel --- only there weren't any horses but there were defrosted chickens in different shapes. Some were barbeques, some were still in their plastics and some were not yet defrosted. This was such a demented place. There was a roller coaster that were defrosted chickens. There were different demented rides but there was only one normal stall. A cotton candy stall.

"Where do you want to go first?"

"Um…I'm kinda hungry. Let's go to the Cotton Candy"

Kaito took out his wallet and we both went to the Cotton Candy stall.

"Two please" he smiled. KAITO WAS SO CHARMING….

The cotton candy wasn't pink like it usually is. It was pale looking and smelled icy. After making the cotton candy, he placed it in a plastic and handed it to us. I took a piece and popped it in my mouth.

Guess what flavor it was.

"Mmmm…defrosted chicken!!!" Kaito said, winking at me.

**OH HELL. **

After riding in a few demented rides, I took a seat in front of a stage while drinking my Defrosted Chicken flavored coke to dissatisfaction. A man in a chicken costume came up the stage and the crowd started cheering like mad. I watched as someone tossed him a microphone and he started singing:

"_Defrosted Chickens…._

_I need you in my sight_

_From the moment I wake up _

_To the time I close my eyes… _

_Defrosted Chicken…_

_You stare at me lovingly_

_And I say…_

_AND I SAY…._

"It's the Defrosted Chicken anthem" Kaito whispered. He gave me a piece of paper with the lyrics.

"Keep it. I already memorized the lyrics"

"_I LOVE YOU_

_I LOVE YOU _

_I LOVE YOU SO MUCH_

_I NEED YOU _

_I NEED YOU _

_I NEED YOUR ICY TOUCH_

_DEFROSSTTTEEEEEEEEEEEEEEDDDDDDD _

_DEFROSTEEEEEEEEEEDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD_

_DEFROSTEDDDDDDDD _

_OH YEAHHHH!!!! _

_CHICKEN!! CHICKEN! CHICKEN! CHICKEN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I NEED YOUUUU_

_DEFROSTED CHICKEN!!!!!_

_WOAHHHHHH!! AWRIGHT!!!!" _

He was about to go to the intermission when Kaito (thank god) told me that we ran out of time and had to be back at the bus.

"SO…did you enjoy today?"

NO.

"Yes!"

"Maybe you can join the Defrosted Chicken Fan Club"

What can I say? He's my boyfriend, for God's sake!!! I can't just spit out and say "No because it's pathetic". I gave a faint smile and murmured 'maybe'. UGH. Kaito clapped happily as the two of us sat down in the bus. The tour guide started counting us if we were complete and finally sat down beside the driver.

We stopped by the bus station and from there we took a taxi to Tokyo Media Industries. We went up to the Celebrity Lounge and I looked inside the refrigerator to see if there was anything suitable to eat… **THAT'S NOT DEFROSTED CHICKEN**.

I opened the television and the two of us watched a music video. Then, Kaito's face appeared on television.

"Ooohhh… this is my song **Anonymously Loving You" **Kaito grinned, and I exceeded the volume to hear his voice.

"_Tell me…maybe I should tell you who I am…_

_These love letters break my soul _

_My heart slowly unfolds_

_I'm anonymously loving you….." _

Well, it wasn't bad. At least there's no defrosted chicken.

At the end of the music video, a pack of defrosted chicken came out. WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH KAITO?!!??!?!?!?!?!

Before we could say anything, Natsume and Ruka walked into the room.

"Oi. Freak. We have a commercial tomorrow morning" Natsume said, hopping on the couch.

"Commercial?" My eyes lit up. "Commercial for what?"

"Toothpaste… Fluoride Friends toothpaste" Natsume said, looking at a crumpled piece of paper.

"We have to be by the studio at eleven in the morning" he continued.

"Oh…Ruka…are you going to be there too?" I asked, turning to Ruka who was heading for the kitchen.

"No. I'm doing another commercial for McDonalds" Ruka replied.

"So…it's just going to be me and you?" I said, turning to Natsume – my eye twitching and my face slightly heating up.

Natsume rolled his eyes and cursed. I rolled my eyes as well.

Tomorrow might be hell.

But at least, there's no defrosted chicken.

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**Author's Note**

Hey!! I hope you like this chapter. Anyway, **THE CHAPTER AFTER THE NEXT CHAPTER WILL BE A TALK SHOW. IF YOU WANT, SEND ME FAN MAILS FOR MIKAN/NATSUME/RUKA OR WHOEVER TO READ. If I don't get enough fan mails, I'm not going to use the idea anymore. But it's worth a try. So send me fan mails, everyone!! I'll be waiting!!! **


	14. The Fluoride Friends Commercial

**Author's Note**

Hey everyone! Sorry I wasn't able to update fast because I was busy with school but now I am on my Christmas break! Yay!! Haha. Anyway thank you..ahem..for the following people who reviewed Chapter Thirteen: _black cat girl 2006, natsumexmikan, simplebutspecial, juzsayinhi02, honey kun, winglessfairy25, jwinkee, o.Twilight Dreams.o, maakuchan, coolzonegirl, Natsumesama, iceprincess6063, canrolii, glenda23, Chiberei, Star Saphhirex, why defrosted chicken?, michiy0, sakura-yukiko, me, Orange Orange, may520, nikkuru, Hkari the Keyblade of Hope, Sakura Avalon, Natsumiyu, emverolemina, rocketandroll, seshire and Cat4862. _**Thanks everyone!!! Oh yeah, sorry if the last chapter was irritating. I'll make this one better. **

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**Chapter Fourteen**

The Fluoride Friends Commercial

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I was extremely nervous. This was my first commercial EVER. Well sure, I had a magazine photo shoot but it wasn't the same as talking to the camera. But since I'm considered a 'celebrity' now, I have to get used to **the lights, the camera and the action**.

I leafed through my script with Natsume. We were doing a commercial for Fluoride Friends, it's a toothpaste brand. But I don't really like it because they have ketchup flavor which is very unusual.

I browsed through my script as the make up artists did my face and the hairdressers sprayed all there yucky smelling things on hair and clipping these uncomfortable clips. The make up artists were putting some powdery pink stuff on my cheeks. They made me itchy but I was able to tolerate it.

"Mikan! Shooting in five minutes!" a voice called out from the front stage. "Okay!" I shouted back and returned to reading my script.

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"Oh damn it!!" Hotaru muttered, staring at the bleeding cut.

"What happened?" Ruka asked, as he entered the Celebrity Lounge.

"There's broken glass over here, and it cut my leg" Hotaru responded calmly and wiped a bit of her blood with Kleenex.

"Wait" Ruka told her and ran to the bathroom. He returned with a band aid and peeled it. He covered her wound and just looked down.

"Okay now?" he asked softly.

Hotaru just stared at him.

"I can take care of my cuts myself, thank you very much" she replied coldly and turned away, blushing.

Ruka…no matter how many times I reject you – you're still so damn kind to me!!!

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My heart raced as I entered the front stage. It was set up as a bathroom. There was a toilet, bath tub, shampoo, conditioner, body wash, a scrub and green towels piled up together.

The script didn't say much about me saying any lines, I just needed to act – but I was still **SO NERVOUS**.

Natsume was wearing a casual outfit. But he still looked HOT. Wait…shouldn't I be saying that to Ruka or Kaito? Hehe.

"Okay, Mikan – put this on" one of the make up artists told me, running out from backstage. It was a pair of false teeth – false **ROTTEN **teeth.

"What the hell?" I thought to myself. "Err…why do I have to wear this?" I asked, staring disgustingly at the 'creature' she held. Well, it looked like a creature.

"Because, in the start – you will have rotten teeth and Natsume wouldn't want to kiss you but in the end…"

_**?KISS ME?**_

"W-what? K-k-kiss?! What are you talking about?"

"Last page of your script, Mikan – haven't you seen that part?" the make up artist replied, cluelessly. She got my script and turned to the back page. In small letters it read: **_kiss. _**

**Damnations. **

Well, I have been in this kind of situation before – but never on national television. Fluoride Friends is so popular, it will probably be aired all over Japan. And my classmates use Fluoride Friends so they will see that I'd be kissing Natsume…and…I'd be kicked out of my circle of friends!!!

"**_BUT I DON'T WANT TO KISS NATSUME_!**!" I blurted out. The commercial people stared at me.

The director went up to me and patted me on the back. I looked at him nervously, my face all red.

"Can't you just PRETEND to kiss Natsume?"

"I cannot NOT pretend to kiss someone…that's not possible" I told the director and he looked at me earnestly.

"No…you see, what we can do is – just make you and Natsume's noses touch and then we'll cut the camera"

"B-but…"

"It's either that or the real kiss!"

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"Hey, Hotaru – can I tell you something?"

"Okay, what?"

"I've been trying to say this for the longest time"

_What? What is he trying to say? _Hotaru thought to herself, turning slightly pink.

Hotaru looked at him, he was turning slightly pink too.

_D-does he like me? _

"UM… **I LIKE MIKAN**!!!"

My heart stopped beating.

"Oh" I murmured. He liked Mikan.

Mikan liked him after all back at home.

But her new boyfriend is Kaito.

"C-can you tell her that?" Ruka asked.

"Yeah…sure…Ruka…I'll tell her that"

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_**Mornings with your lovers always involve a good morning kiss… **_

Natsume walked up the stage (that was set up as a bathroom) and put Fluoride Friends toothpaste on his toothbrush and started brushing his teeth.

_**But if you don't use Fluoride Friends toothpaste… **_

I walked in and smiled at Natsume, WITH THE FRIKKIN ROTTEN TEETH. And then the music started changing into a very frightening music with screaming in the back ground. I'm being humiliated.

_**That's why always use Fluoride Friends toothpaste, because it has extra fluoride, calcium and everything you need for your teeth so that mornings will always be pleasant with a good morning kiss. **_

Then – the kiss was up next. I closed my eyes as I felt Natsume's nose near me – I could feel heat rushing up my cheeks and then…

"CUT!! THAT WAS GREAT!!" the director yelled and stood up. Natsume nodded and came down the stage.

"Thank God I didn't have to kiss that dork. I could already feel her un-cute breath and it was poisoning me!"

"**OH SHUT UP YOU PERVERT" **

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When I came back to the hotel room, Hotaru wasn't there. I took a shower and watched the home shopping network, I ordered room service and read some of the comics downstairs. I went back to the hotel room and looked at my watch. It was already eleven and she wasn't back yet.

I was beginning to get tired, and as I was dozing off to sleep – I heard Hotaru come in. I opened my eyes and she was sitting on the table, with a laptop (I didn't know she brought one). I stretched and stood up.

"What are you doing?" I asked.

She was uploading her photos of Ruka in Her eyes were red and puffy. It looked like she had been crying.

"Are you blackmailing Ruka again?"

She didn't reply.

"Hotaru! What's wrong with you?" I asked, turning the chair around. I swear! SHE LOOKED LIKE SHE WAS CRYING.

She stood up, her bangs covering her eyes and got some pajamas out of the cabinet. She entered the bathroom and I could hear the faint sound of water.

"HOTARU!!!" I shouted, banging on the door.

"I'm taking a shower" she said in a creaky voice. _…And probably drowning my sorrows in the water. _

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**Author's Note**

Okay guys, I gave you a RukaxMikanxNatsume thingy because some of you wanted one!! The talk show chapter is up next so don't forget to send more fan mails if you like!!! Include the fan mails in your review and I'll make the characters read it. I still have to find out what the hell to do with Kaito. Hahah. Anyway, hope you like this chapter. I'm starting to pity Hotaru.


	15. Afternoon Coffee with Asuka Emin

**Author's Note**

Hey everyone!! Another update!! Anyway, I'm kind of lazy to do my usual 'thanks for reviewing' list so just thank you to everybody who reviewed, or just simply read. It's very encouraging to the author to see someone enjoying her story. Anyway, this will be the talk show chapter. I think this fan fic will be around twenty chapters. Hehe.

**Disclaimer**

Why would I be writing a fan fic if I owned GA itself?

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**Chapter Fifteen**

Afternoon Coffee with Asuka Emin

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The next morning, I awoke – finding Hotaru sleeping in front of the television which was still on and showing the home shopping network. She looked exhausted and she was wearing her pajamas. What was wrong with her? Was she having a hang over or something?

I'm very excited for today's plans. Natsume, Ruka and I are guests in a talk show called **'Afterrnoon Coffee with Asuka Emin'**. I love watching that show back at home. Asuka is so funny and she's so pretty. I can't believe I'm actually going to STAR in her show. I have to be there by two o' clock because the show starts at four.

By one thirty, the limousine came to pick us up already. Ruka and Natsume were already in the car. Natsume was facing the window, listening to his Ipod and Ruka smiled sweetly at me. To tell you the truth, I'm not exactly interested in him as much as I was back at home.

"Hey…is…Hotaru pissed at me or something?" Ruka asked, as I got into the car.

"Um… I don't know – why?"

"I don't know, I just got the feeling"

We arrived at the building where the show would be. The people were setting up the stage. There were comfortable looking floral armchairs and a brown mahogany coffee table with mugs that said: **ASUKA EMIN **painted on it. There was also an ashtray and some delicious looking brownies on a plate.

I was taken back stage to have my hair and make up done. They curled my hair with a curling iron and put lipstick, eyeliner and blush-on on me. I went to check on Ruka and Natsume who were being sprayed good-smelling stuff. After that, we went outside to meet Asuka Emin.

Asuka is wonderful. She has long blonde hair and black beady eyes. Her hair was tied up in a messy bun and she was wearing a blue polo and a black skirt. She was also wearing carnation pink lipstick and blush on. Someday, I wish to be as successful as her. She has three mansions and two apartments. She also has a beach house in Miami. She's one of my idols.

"Hey guys! Are you ready for today's show?" she smiled, giving me and the rest of us a hug. Natsume kinda twitched when Asuka hugged him. He probably didn't like hugs.

Before we could reply, Kaito appeared. He already had his hair and make up done and he put his arm around me. "Hey, girlfriend" he said and kissed me on the cheek. He sounded disturbing. I tried to inch away from him but I couldn't escape from his Persona-ish grasp.

"Oh, Kaito – you're joining us, too?" Natsume said – glaring at his brother. Kaito winked at him and grinned.

"I have some fan mails for you guys to read"

FANMAILS?!?!?! I never got fan mails!!!! I'm so excited!!!

Around three thirty, the audience started arriving. It thrilled me to see crowds coming in with food and drinks as if they were going to watch a movie – except it' a talk show. I'm so nervous. I've had some pretend talk shows back at home for school projects but…

"Mikan!! We have to put eye shadow on you!!!"

At four o' clock, the theme music started playing. Then Asuka came out waving her hands while the crowd was cheering. She sat down on one of those comfortable floral arm chairs and waited for the crowd to silence. Eventually, they did and she smiled sweetly at the audience. I watched sheepishly from backstage.

"Hello everybody!!! I'm Asuka Emin and you're on Afternoon Coffee with Asuka Emin!!! Today, we've got some special guests for you!!! Please welcome Mikan Sakura, Natsume Hyuuga and Ruka Nogi – one of the HOTT-TEST celebrities to hit Tokyo!! Please welcome them folks!!!"

I was too nervous to move.

"MOVE, STUPID!!" Natsume yelled who was behind me. I tried to move my legs but still, I was too nervous.

"MOVE, DAMN IT!!" he yelled again and pushed me, I still didn't move and then the two of us fell out of backstage and the audience gasped. Asuka giggled as I turned and found Natsume's face on top of me. The crowd cheered and turned pink. I stood up and cursed and turned pink, Natsume's face was red too but I doubt the fact that he was flushed because of what just happened now.

I laughed nervously as the three of us walked upstage. One of the armchairs were big enough for two people so that's where me and Kaito sat --- he stank. And Natsume (who was now glaring at Kaito angrily) and Ruka sat on another seat that was placed right before the show. Damn.

"Thank you for joining us today" Asuka smiled. I didn't know what to say.

So there were a few stupid questions she asked us, I didn't really pay much attention to it but when the fan mail reading came, I jolted up with sheer excitement and listened intently.

"Okay, this is from a fan called – simplebutspecial" Asuka said, and opened the letter. It was scented.

Hey Natsume.

I know you hate me for saying this, but i like your eyes and your 'siga'(can't think of the english word) personality.

By the time you read this, I know you'll hate me and start cursing.. whatever.. I don't care if you curse me, i'll just curse you back, because it seems my personality is a lot like yours.. hn.. curse all you want.

Where do you by the earrings by the way? the one you wear? Send me one if you have the time.-I doubt you would, mind you. But hey, might as well try.-

I said what I wanted to say.

SbS

Oh, one more thing, I hate you Kaito.

"What's siga?" Natsume asked, after listening to the fan mail.

"It's Filipino. I can't even think of an English word either" I replied.

"You know Filipino?" Natsume glared

"We took that up in first year high school"

"I think it means tough…"

Natsume rolled his eyes.

"Just so you know – I have my earrings specially made in some earring shop thing. Oh yeah, and Kaito has one too"

"Yeah! It's a chicken"

"You freak"

"Okay here's the next fan mail" Asuka said, smiling nervously and hoping that the two boys wouldn't strike up a fight.

you cold blooded jerk, you are absolutely adorable and handsome!! darn you are handsome.. hehe.. jerk.. bwahahaha

ja!!

Erinn

"How come everyone finds you handsome?" Kaito asked, turning to Natsume. Natsume just shrugged.

Hey, sometimes it can be true.

SOMETIMES…

Okay, maybe not sometimes.

For: Mikan

Oh Mikan...you sure are a blooming star and I'm so proud to be one of your FAN!

PS: You and Natsume look good together!!

-o-o-o-o-o-

For: Natsume

Hi Natsume...you're such a great actor! LOVE YAH

-jwinkee

"I…I have a fan!!" I squealed and kissed the paper a million times. Then I read the PS note.

"M…me.. and Natsume look g-good together?"

Natsume glanced at me and turned around.

"THAT'S NOT TRUE!" Kaito yelled, and faced the television camera. "SHE'S MY GIRFRIEND, REMEMBER THAT"

I…I can't believe someone actually thinks me and Natsume look good together.

I'm going crazy.

for mikan:  
HEYYA GIRLFRIEND...  
why choose KAITO?  
he is a goddamn defrosted chicken lover ya noe?  
how sick?  
and aren't cha even scared after the "date"?  
man...  
come on...  
admit it...  
you like natsume right?  
SAY YES!  
dun lie...  
it is SO obvious...  
hey!  
dun look as if i am crazy...  
if u like natsume,  
do it this way...  
KISS HIM(hey authour, keep this from them ok?)  
MUAHAHAHAHA...  
come on...  
you decide wat to do ok?

Now,  
for dear dear kuro-neko:  
OI PERVERT!( i know it isn't nice...but...)  
U DUMBO!  
TELL MIKAN ALREADY!  
DUN GIMME TAT "i'm-gonna-burn-u look...  
u can't...  
hhas...  
anyway...  
HELL U!  
TELL MIKAN U LIKE HER!  
U THINK SHE KNOWS?  
DAMN U AND YOUR EGO...  
u wanna face my wrath?  
GO SUCK IT UP AND TELL HER ALREADY!  
being jealous won't do you good ok?  
trust me...  
coz u always let her slip through your fingers...  
and u get jealous...  
sigh  
GET A LIFE!

-twilight dreams

I gulped. Yeah, sure Kaito is a goddamn defrosted chicken freak – I'm okay with that but I WILL NOT ADMIT THAT I LIKE NATSUME. NEVER. EVER. EVER. EVER.

Before I could say my fourth 'ever', The crowd started cheering "Kiss him! Kiss him!" My head started swelling and my cheeks were heating up. Yes, I'm in this kind of situation once more. I couldn't take it. Natsume was staring at me viciously while Kaito was batting his eyelashes disturbingly.

"How about Natsume's letter?" I said in a shaky voice, I opened his letter and read it allowed.

"I don't like that moron" Natsume remarked, turning slight pink.

The crowd silenced.

"I don't even get jealous!!"

"Stop denying it!!" Ruka grinned.

"SHUT THE HELL UP, ALRIGHT?"

Natsume stared at me and I just avoided his angry gaze.

"Liars go to hell!" a voice shouted from the crowd.

"I'D RATHER GO TO HELL THAN TELL THE TRUTH!!!"

The crowd started laughing. _Damn. _Natsume thought. Does that give it away?

Natsume- "Hey there this is Clover, and I am your BIGGEST fan! I am so happy that little rut Mikan didnt pick you as her boyfriend because i know you will fall for me someday. I will wait for you. Love, Clover" Dont worry I didnt mean it about the the Mikan thing.

Ruka- "Oh, my prince, I have longed to see you. I just adore you so much. And guess what...I love animals too! I dream of you every night.You're my prince and I'm you're princess. I wish you would save me and bring me to live in your castle. Signed, Ellie."

Ruka blushed. "Are you Hotaru?" he thought intently and smiled at the audience. "Thanks. I'm flattered"

"Why the hell does everyone like you?" Kaito yelled angrily. "I HATE YOU EVERYONE!!!" He cried and ran out of the stage. The audience sweat dropped.

"Okay…um…security – please comfort Kaito. Ok, here's the next fan mail!"

Dear Natsume,  
Pls kill Kaito before he embarasses himself even more and force him into a mental institute.I agree to your text message MIkan is an idiot if she keeps that up .  
From a person,  
Mina-chan

"I HATE YOU!!" Kaito shouted from back stage. "STOP IT SECURITY, I DON'T WANT TO GO BACK TO THAT DAMN TALK SHOW!! NOOOOOOOOO!!!"

I really think Kaito should be checked in a psych ward. Honestly.

Dear Mikan,  
I know that you and Kaito are officially a couple, but I also heard he's obssesed with defrosted chicken! Is that true?

-Emma-

"Well…"

Natsume smiled sinisterly. "Check his back pack, will ya?" he said, thrusting the backpack at me. I opened it and so many chicken artifacts fell out. Chicken notebooks, pencils, a chicken shaped Ipod and all these disgusting looking things that don't look suitable for children to look at.

Hi NAtsume,  
I'm a huge fan of yours...and also your brother KAito...  
ooh both of you are so hot...  
but you're hotter than him  
hhmm...i just wonder why mikan chose your brother?  
so how do you feel about mikan being the girlfriend of your brother?  
also how will you react if you found out that ruka likes her too?  
what a love chase...  
ja ne  
xoxoxo  
-nikkiru-

"SOMEONE THINKS IM HOT?!?!" Kaito grinned, dashing out of the backstage.

"Yeah but Natsume's hotter than you" Asuka responded flatly. And with that, Kaito dashed out of the stage in tears.

"I don't care about my brother being the boyfriend of that damn thick-as-brick four year old" Natsume said, scanning me from head to toe.

"Yeah right!!!" Asuka responded. Natsume made a fist and turned pink. "Seriously I don't!!" he denied. Then he turned to Ruka, with a frown.

"Ruka, you like her?"

Ruka shook his head. "NO!!"

"B-but this fan-mail!!"

"The only one I like is H… next fan mail please!!"

Dear Mikan,

I know that you and Kaito are officially a couple, but I have this question... Do you really love him? Or you love someone else but you're just not trully sure...please answer it truthfully...

-chammel

FOR NATSUME

Dear Natsume,

Could you please kill your defrosted-chicken-lover brother! He's driving me nuts! And answer this question truthfully... Who's the most important person in your life now? If you don't answer this I'll do something that you will trully regret(scary glint of blue appeared in eye)even if i'm your fan...

-chammel

Do I love Kaito? Do I? I cannot say 'no' in national television. It would probably ruin Kaito's career, if he gets too broken-hearted, his pop idol career might hit rock bottom and it might be my fault.

"Yea" I twitched and stared at the gasping audience.

_Liars go to hell. Liars go to hell…_

"I love someone else too!!" I blurted. Oh damnations. But that's not true anyway.

The crowd cheered.

"The most important person in my life now is…"

Natsume glanced at me. I don't know why.

"M….me" Natsume said and smirked at the audience. "Isn't it obvious?"

"No" Kaito said from backstage. Natsume rolled his eyes.

This talk show is so damn full of lies.

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At the end of the talk show, we went to the Celebrity Lounge to have dinner because Ruka told us he ordered some Chinese take out and it shall be delivered to Tokyo Media Industries.

"Natsume," I said, as the two of us watched television.

"What?"

"Who IS the most important person in your life, aside from yourself?"

That had been bothering me for the longest time.

"And all those fan mails we received. Do you love anyone?"

Natsume turned off the television.

He looked down and I stared at him intently. My heart was pounding so fast that I couldn't even hear my thoughts anymore. Why was I so nervous?

"N-no" he whispered and got his Ipod and listened to it.

"NATSUME, YOU LIAR!!!!"

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**AUTHORS NOTE**

Hoped you like it!! Oh yeah, the next chapter will be entitled "THE DARE". Think about it. It's a very interesting chapter, if I do say so myself. Anyway, the story is surely heating up. I hope you'll continue reading and reviewing!! MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE.


	16. Topsy Turvy

**Author's Note**

Yay!! Another update!!! Christmas is nearing… I'm so excited. Haha! Anyway, thanks to the people who reviewed Chapter Fifteen…ahem: _black cat girl 2006, winglessfairy25, cutegabrielle16, rocketandroll, chammel, rabid-pineapple-juice, emrevolemina, michiy0, DMPMG (oh yeah, I might use your suggestion about a new guy coming in, thanks!), pink cherry 6, Natsumesama, YingLang4eva, glenda23, icedprincess6063, Star Sapphirex, me, Orange Orange, Royal Cerulean, simplebutspecial. _Hope you enjoy Chapter Sixteen!!!

_**Oh yeah, I changed the plot of this chapter from 'The Dare' to Topsy Turvy. **_

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**Chapter Sixteen **

Topsy Turvy

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_I swear – I wasn't supposed to say Hotaru in the talk show when I was reading one of the fan letters. I was supposed to think of Mikan right? _Ruka thought, as he paced across his living room in confusion.

_Anyway, I don't love her. I don't like her. _

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"I see, so you like Ruka" I grinned, after a two minute silence during breakfast. Hotaru looked up from her novel and glared. She spooned some cereal into her mouth and muttered "Shut up"

"Stop denying it. It's too obvious" I laughed as Hotaru shot another angry glare at me. Still, I believed that she really liked Ruka. I mean, it was too obvious already. There's no use denying it because it's too conspicuous.

"One more time of your childish thoughts and I'm going to HURT you" she threatened and went back to reading her novel.

"Yeah right" I grinned and took her book from her hands, at that moment – a pocket size photograph of Ruka flew out of the pages. Hotaru's eyes widened and took the photograph and inserted it in her pocket. She went back to eating like nothing happened.

"I SAW THAT!!" I yelled. Hotaru ignored me and continued eating her breakfast.

"I'm going to sell it" she responded quietly.

"Oh yeah, whatever. Sell it to who? You're book?"

"Shut up, Mikan" she answered.

"Then I bet…" I grinned, and stood up from my seat. "That you wouldn't mind us being boyfriend-girlfriend for one day"

Hotaru slammed shut her book and drank some water. "I'm not that childish enough to bet something that stupid"

"Oh, so you're scared huh?!?!" my grin widened, I raised my eyebrow and she gave me a i-wanna-kill-you look.

"No… I'm not" she replied dryly.

"If you don't mind us being boyfriend-girlfriend for one day, then I'll be your maid for the day"

"And if I do?"

"Then YOU be my maid for the day"

"It's a bet" Hotaru said calmly and returned to her delicious breakfast.

"Okay, let's go to the Celebrity Lounge after breakfast"

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When we entered the Celebrity Lounge, Natsume and Ruka were there watching Kaito's new music video in TV: **I Think I'm in Love With Somebody Else. **Natsume was cursing as they watched the video and Ruka just laughed at Kaito's super idiotic dancing.

"Hey! It's Polka-Dots and Hotaru" Natsume said, without turning around.

"YOU PERVERT!" I shouted and looked around. "Hey, where's Kaito?"

"Oh, he's doing some concert" Natsume responded coldly. Hotaru nudged me and whispered 'maid-for-the-day" in my ear. I twitched and looked at Natsume for awhile. What would he say if I flirt and act all…girly and lovey-dovey around Ruka? WAIT… I shouldn't care about his thoughts. I should care about whether I am going to humiliate myself by being Hotaru's slave for the day or not.

I shook my head and sat beside Ruka. "RUKA----PYONNNN!!!" I said, squeezing Ruka. Ruka stared at me weirdly and I just continued hugging him. I sat on his lap as Hotaru made herself comfortable on a beanbag, she watched as I ran my fingers through the confused Ruka's hair and she looked down a few times.

Natsume looked at me stunned and he would shoot strange glances at Hotaru that seemed to say: _what-the-frikkin-hell-is-that-moron-girl-doing!?!?_ And Hotaru would reply: _she's-in-her-stupid-mood-once-more_.

Ruka was too shocked to speak.

"RUKA…I WAS TOO SHY TO SAY THIS BUT….**_I'VE ALWAYS LOVED YOU RUKA PYON!!!" _ **I said and turned to my best friend who was now twitching. Oh she cares doesn't she?!!? She just wants to keep her dignity, that's all!

"Um…okay?" Ruka said. _I never knew Mikan could be this annoying. _

"Oh whatever, you moron. Ruka would never go out with you! You're so stupid!!" Natsume yelled and stood up, he tugged one of my pigtails which made me twitch in pain and I glared at him.

"**_YOU'RE JUST JEALOUS_**!" I shouted.

"I'd rather go to hell and spend an eternity there, I'd rather be dragged by wild horses and eat rotten sashimi than be LOVED BY YOU!"

"SO JUMP OF A CLIFF - LOSER!" I said, sticking out my tongue.

Natsume glared at me and walked away.

"SO...RUKA-PYON!!! WHY DON'T WE GO OUT LATER?!!?!?"

"Okay…" Ruka was definitely sweat-dropping now.

"So meeting place is near the fountain in the park!" I said and ruffled his head. "Um…around noon time, ok?" I grinned. OH HELL YEAH, I'M GONNA WIN THIS BET.

"Come, HOTARU" I said, taking Hotaru's hang. "See you later, Ruka-pyonnnn – Natsume" I said, and waved my hand, Hotaru and I walked out.

"What the hell did just happen now?" Ruka asked, turning to Natsume.

"HELL" Natsume replied.

"Wait…I've got to talk to Mikan!!" Ruka said, running to the door. Suddenly, he heard to voices.

"_I'm going to win the bet!!! _

"_Oh shut up. You're too stupid to win the bet, anyway" _

"_So you won't mind if Ruka is my boyfriend for one whole day?!?!" _

"…_." _

"_YOU LIKE HIM!!!" _

"_Oh shut up!"_

Ruka looked back at Natsume and smiled sinisterly.

"I'm thinking, maybe I should date Mikan"

Natsume stared at Ruka. "WHAT"

"It's not like you care right?"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Natsume watched Ruka get ready for his date with Mikan. Ruka was acting very strange. After leaning towards the door, he's been muttering things like 'revenge' and stuff.

Pictures of Ruka and Mikan kissing and hugging entered his mind. He felt angry as those pictures came into view. DAMN. He thought. Jealousy hurts. And it's not a good feeling. Because when you feel jealous, you probably like the person. And for Natsume, falling in love with Mikan is probably the last thing he'd do in his life.

He got his cell phone and called Hotaru.

"Hello?"

"Oi. Hotaru it's me"

"What do you want?"

"Ruka says that he's decided to date YOU"

"Huh? What do you mean?" Hotaru's voice sank.

"You heard me"

"Meet him in the park in the area with the cherry blossom trees"

Natsume could feel a smile form on the other end of the phone.

"Sure" she muttered and switched off the phone.

Ha. Ha.

"Oy, Natsume! Who was that on your phone?" Ruka said from the bathroom.

"Uh… It was Mikan"

"Oh! What did she say now? I love you Ruka?" Ruka said, coming out from the bathroom.

"No. She said to meet her near the cherry blossom trees instead"

_It's making me feel guilty. But I can't stand seeing that dummy and Ruka walk together. Dammit! _

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_**HOTARU**_

"Ruka…asked…me out…but how…about…Mikan?" Hotaru thought, as she left the hotel a few minutes after Mikan did. She remembered the other day when Ruka blurted that he liked Mikan. Hotaru looked at herself in the window which projected her reflection. She was wearing a violet shirt and a white skirt. She wore violet loafers and had her hair clipped with a sparkly barrette.

She had never dressed up this nicely before. Even in school parties and get-togethers. She felt strange. She felt as if there were butterflies in her stomach. But she didn't like Ruka. No. she didn't.

_By the cherry blossom trees…_

_**RUKA**_

"Give me a red rose" Ruka said, with an evil tone poisoning his usual sweet voice. The florist looked at him and nodded. "A-aren't you Ruka Nogi?" she asked. Ruka smiled at her as he accepted the red rose. "Yea. I'm going on a date"

"With who?"

At that point, Ruka started laughing sinisterly.

_By the cherry blossom trees… _

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I'm going to win this stupid bet.

I waited by the fountain, I loved the sound of the birds and the flow of water as it flowed down and the way the fish would seem to dance among the ripples of water.

This was a dumb bet. Well, I made the bet in the first place. And losing to the bet you made yourself was as humiliating as being Hotaru's slave for the day.

_I have to tell Mikan that Ruka cancelled their date. _Natsume thought, after minutes of evil plotting. He ran towards the fountain, Mikan was sitting on the opposite side.

"Ah… Ruka-pyon, you're finally here" I grinned. The thought of the dignified Hotaru losing to my bet made me want to fly.

"Um…"

"RUKA-PYON!!! I LOVE YOU!!!!" I squealed and leapt into his arms, but it seemed I was too heavy and the two of us fell into the fountain, soaked. But that didn't stop me. Oh yeah, where's Hotaru anyway? She has to be watching from the bushes at this moment. I flew into his arms and ran my fingers through his…**_BLACK HAIR!?!?!?!? _**

I rubbed my eyes and saw the person looking down at me was…OHMYGOD!! IT WAS NATSUME!!

I immediately removed my fingers out of his hair and my arms out of his. I turned one hundred shades of reds as I realized that we were still holding hands.

"Oy, stupid. Come closer" Natsume said, pulling me closer, he examined my face carefully and I could feel his heart beat already. Yeah. We were that close.

He put his hands on my cheek. OHHELL WAS HE GONNA KISS ME?!!?!? But why wasn't I moving back?

"Close your eyes, dummy" he whispered. Of course, I didn't – I was too flushed to move. Then he moved his head near my ear and whispered:

"You have blueberry underwear"

At that point, I turned even redder. I stood up and splashed water on his face. "YOU PERVERTED MORON! I HATE YOU!!"

Natsume smirked and took my by the wrists. And then…he kissed me on the cheek.

OHMYGOODNESS

OH MY GOD.

OH MY CUPID.

"OH YOU MORON, NATSUME!! I HATE YOU LIKE HELL!! I HATE YOU! I HATE YOU! I HATE YOU!! YOU'RE TRYING TO REMOVE THE DIGNITY OF A WOMAN!!! EXCUSE ME!! I'M NOT AS EASY TO PICK UP AS YOU THINK!!! I'M STRONG!!!"

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Hotaru waited by the cherry blossom trees. Her heart was racing very fast. Suddenly she heard someone come near.

"Ruka?" she muttered.

"Ah…you're finally here" Ruka said from the opposite side of the tree.

Hotaru didn't say anything.

"There's one thing I wanted to do before you left the Celebrity Lounge awhile ago"

"W-what?"

Ruka jumped from the other side and hugged her. Hotaru blushed but didn't return the hug. She felt his warmth and savored it at the moment. She hated cheesy moments like this. But it was probably OK if it was Ruka.

Ruka was about to crash in for a kiss when…

"OH HELL, YOU'RE NOT MIKAN!" Ruka yelled. Hotaru drew from the hug. She didn't know what to say. Again, she lost to Mikan being in Ruka's thoughts all the time.

"Yes. I'm Hotaru" she said quietly and began to walk away, sadly.

_Natsume --- you tricked me. _Ruka thought and watched Hotaru walk away.

"Oi, Hotaru!"

"I'm not Mikan" she responded from afar.

"WAIT! WE'RE ON A DATE, REMEMBER?" Ruka yelled. Hotaru stopped as Ruka ran towards her. He handed her the red rose.

Hotaru stared at it for awhile and took it. She smiled inwardly.

"Wait, there's one thing I have to do" Hotaru said, and she took her camera from her bag and snapped a picture of Ruka – candid.

"HEY! THAT'S NOT FAIR!!!"

And Hotaru thought, yeah – she wasn't Mikan and maybe Ruka doesn't like her. But hey, the moments count despite the fact that sometimes it could be topsy turvy or confusing. Yes, the moments count.

Especially the ones where she blackmails him.

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**TO BE CONTINUED!!!! **


	17. Home in Nagoya

**Author's Note**

Thanks to the people who reviewed: _chammel, YingLang4eva, jwinkee, Natsumesama, tomboy ninja13, enrevolemina, black cat girl 2006, ahahahah, nikkuru, winglessfairy25, littledoggy, me, pinkcherry6, cutegabrielle16, michiy0, glenda23, Hikashe-chan, Natsumiyu_

**Note: **I'm not sure if there really is an airport in Nagoya or such thing as Junkuji High School. I just made it up. Haha.

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**Chapter Seventeen **

Home in Nagoya

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I went home after that incident in the fountain. I was soaking wet and I didn't want to catch a cold. As for Hotaru, she came home around six pm twirling a rose in her fingers. Where did she get that rose? Anyway, it didn't matter.

I couldn't sleep that night, memories of Natsume kissing me bothered my mind. I tossed and turned, I threw some of the pillows on the floor, I kicked the blanket out of the bed and tried several possible positions that would make me go to sleep – but alas! I could barely close my eyes. The cheek that Natsume kissed was still warm and whenever I touched it, it seemed that he was kissing it again. God, I'm so pissed off.

It was already two am. Hotaru was already sleeping. My eyes were heavy but my mind was awake. Staring into space wasn't going to do me good. I stood up and opened Hotaru's lap top. I knew her password, although it took me lots of snooping and brainstorming to find out: **blackmail. **

I went to 'My Pictures'. There were blackmail photographs of Ruka. I wanted to laugh. Hotaru is so damn obsessed with him. Then, there were school photos. Photos of Hotaru, Nonoko, Anna, Sumire and I… I remembered that day, that was one day where Hotaru brought her camera to take blackmail photos of the weak boys - but we ended up taking photographs of our group. I browsed through the photos and by three, I was getting sleepy.

I climbed back into my bed and dreamt of my friends. I miss them so much. But I miss my hometown the most. Nagoya…

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The next morning, I got a text from the producer of MFL – Jonathan Yamida. It said: _Please come to the meeting room ASAP. Have you memorized your script? We have decided the place we're going to shoot this week's episode. _

Oh damn. I forgot to memorize my script. Oh well.

Hotaru and I dressed up and went to Tokyo Media Industries. We went into the Meeting Room which was on the 4th floor. By the time we got there, Natsume and Ruka were sitting down with the other members of the cast, Krissy and Yuuka were there. Mr. Yamida was there also and some other people that I didn't know but I just smiled at them helplessly, I sat down and there were Xerox copies of the script and some of the 'plans'. Hotaru sat next to me, but since she wasn't a cast member she just ate the cookies that were on the table and eavesdropped.

"So have you memorized your script already, guys?" Mr. Yamida asked. Everyone replied 'Yes' except for me.

"How about you?" Mr. Yamida said, turning to me. I froze and stared at the front page of my script.

"Um…I memorized the front page" I said quietly.

"That's stupid," Natsume remarked.

I glared at him. "Shut up. Why? What's wrong with memorizing the front page?"

"Because," Natsume said – taking his copy of the script. "It just says: **MY FAVORITE LOSER EPISODE 78**"

He smirked at the way I twitched when I realized what he said was true.

Mr. Yamida stared at me.

"Um…I need to go to the restroom!! Be back in awhile!" I said, trying to save myself from further humiliation. I stood up and turned around. "Uh…where's the restroom?"

"Hallway, left" Yuuka said. I nodded and exited the meeting room.

By the time I came back, it seemed that the rest of the cast (except Natsume who was smirking at me) forgot about the whole 'front page' thingy. I went back to my seat and listened to what they were talking about. They were talking about some kind of place they were going to shoot Episode 78 at.

"**Oh, Mikan – we're going to shoot Episode 78 at Nagoya" **

WHAT?

"NAGOYA?!?!"

"Yes. Is there a problem?"

My eyes gleamed. "N-no…that's my hometown!!"

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The sound of the jet was annoying, but the thought of going back home again – even just for a day or so made my heart leap. I missed Nagoya so much!!! I missed my friends, I missed my teachers (yuck. I can't believe I'm saying I missed my teachers), I missed my grandpa (I wonder how he is now), I missed the mailman, I missed the person selling cigarettes on the street, I missed…

"Oi, stupid – we're boarding the jet already – or do you want to get left behind?" Natsume said, looking at me disgustingly. Had he forgotten about the whole kiss-on-the-cheek thing already? Then what was the kiss for if he didn't really actually mean it?

Hotaru was coming as well. The stem of the rose she had yesterday was poking out of her back. She still had it? It's just a flower! What could be so important about it, anyway?

We couldn't use a helicopter going to Nagoya because there were camera men, the producer, the director, the cast, the makeup artists, the hairstylists etc.

My heart raced as the jet took off. I was going back home. I'm going to see everyone I knew and cared about.

"Hotaru, are you excited?" I asked, turning to my best fried who was sitting across me. She glanced at me and continued eating some peanuts that were there. Ugh. All she cared about was food.

"Nice view" Natsume said.

"Yeah. Tokyo's so nice when you look at it from above"

"Ah… dummy…I wasn't talking about that"

I looked around and I saw that my skirt wasn't fixed well and a bit of my…gulp… **_underwear with a heart and star design _**could be seen.

"YOU PERVERT!!" I yelled and threw a pillow on his face. It didn't really hurt him, because it's a pillow. So the whole trip I looked for things to bludgeon him with.

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"Wake up" Hotaru whispered, I opened my eyes and it was the two of us in the jet. I looked outside and we were in the airport. As I got off the jet, I breathed in the delicious Nagoya air. Home…

We took a limousine to our shooting place. It was some hotel that I never heard of. I memorized half of my script as I had my hair done – and luckily, I was able to memorize all of them. Work is boring, I was excited to hopefully see me friends and grandpa. After hours of shooting, the director told us we did better than planned and we can go touring for awhile.

"Mr. Yamida – can we go to my high school? I want to visit my friends" I asked. Mr. Yamida glanced at his watch and nodded.

"Of course, the chauffeur can take you!"

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I was extremely excited. The four of us went to go to Junkuji High School. We passed familiar streets, temples, stores and people. I was home again!! I was never this thrilled to see the ordinary provincial streets of Nagoya. It looked very plain compared to big city Tokyo. Still, Nagoya is one place in the world where I'd rather be the most.

Then, the awaited moment arrived. It was lunch time in JHS, The chauffeur stopped by the gates and people started whispering. I got off the limousine and everybody started freaking out. They freaked out more when Natsume and Ruka came out. Looking all celebrity-ish.

"OHMYGOD!!!! NONOKO!!! ANNA!! IT'S MIKAN!!!" screamed Sumire.

"HEY GUYS!!" I said, opening my arms for a hug – instead they all stampeded towards Natsume and started squealing. Sumire grabbed hold of Natsume's arm and Nonoko and Anna shared another arm of Natsume. It kinda bothered me that Sumire was nuzzling Natsume's arm. NOT THAT I WAS JEALOUS.

"This is some interesting school" Ruka remarked, as lots of freshmen (the sophomores, juniors and seniors weren't much interested in Ruka) gathered around him. Hotraru rolled her eyes and looked around.

"It's just a boring school" she said.

"I never went to school. I grew up being home-schooled and then by eleven, I was put into theatre school and acting class. My mom was the type to have a celebrity child. They gave me singing lessons and experimented if the piano, guitar or cello would boost my career as my singer. By, thirteen – I was welcomed into the acting community and my mom disappeared from my life. The same as Natsume, too" Ruka said. The freshmen squealed at his biography.

"Hey, where are you going?"

"Ah…I'm going to meet Yuu and Kokoroyomi"

"Who are they? Some of your girlfriends?" Ruka asked, following Hotaru.

"No. They are boys"

**Boys**

**Boys**

**Boys**

**Boys**

Ruka shook his head. "Ahh… so you have a boyfriend already?" he smiled nervously.

Hotaru just ignored him and entered the school building.

"Ah, Hotaru!! Wait!!"

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"Stop doing that!" I yelled, pulling Anna, Nonoko and Sumire's arms out of Natsume who couldn't care less.

"Why? It's not like you care about Natsume!" Sumire said, and then made a face. "Do you?"

I glanced at Natsume nervously and shook my head. "No"

"So, you still have a crush on Ruka?"

Did I?

"No" I replied again.

"God – you came from Tokyo and all of a sudden you're just some boring old woman"

_**Okay, that really hurt me. **_

"What are you staring at?!?!" I asked Natsume, I was definitely losing my temper.

"Another view" Natsume murmured. Then I looked down. I realized I was wearing a camisole.

"OH YOU STUPID PERVERT!!!" I yelled, I was definitely SUPER DUPER PISSED-OFF AT HIM.

"_**TSUBASA-SEMPAI!!!" **_

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Ruka followed Hotaru to one of the classrooms. She opened a door that said: **2-B **– it was probably her classroom. In there were two boys. One had blonde hair with glasses and one had brownish hair.

"Ah. Yuu, Kokoroyomi" she said.

_So those were the two guys Hotaru was talking about_. Ruka thought. _Why am I feeling a sudden urge to pull her out of what will seem to be like their conversation? Ah…I'm not jealous, okay? I'm really not… _

"Ruka…what are you doing here?" Hotaru asked, seeing Ruka peeking inside the classroom.

"Nothing" Ruka responded and entered the classroom. "HEY! You must be Yuu and Kokoroyomi"

Yuu and Kokoroyomi looked at him weirdly.

"They don't watch My Favorite Loser" Hotaru explained. "No, can you just go away?"

"Why? What are you gonna do?"

"It's a private meeting amongst the three of us only" Hotaru said, taking Ruka's arm and taking him out of the classroom.

"It doesn't concern you, Mikan or Natsume. It just concerns the three of us and some other people – anyway, why don't you run off to Mikan?"

"Why, Mikan?"

"Remember what you told me the other day. You like her, right? So just…and anyway, yesterday wasn't really a date – just a setup, so it didn't really affect us – so…I'll see you later, Mikan told me that we can go out for dinner later"

"But…"

Hotaru closed the door.

_It's not like I care about knowing what Hotaru does right? _

_What the hell is she going to do with those guys? _

_Are they her boyfriends? _

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Andou Tsubasa is a senior in JHS. I don't have a brother, but Tsubasa acts as my brother all the time. He asks me if I'm okay when I'm sick, he also gives me his extra lunch when no one would. His girlfriend, Misaki is also like a big sister to me. I went shopping with her once and it was so fun. I wish they were my real siblings and I get left out when they go together because to me, they are as close to me to being a brother and sister.

"TSUBASA-SEMPAI!!!" I screeched, and at once – the dark haired senior wearing the gray cap ran out of the senior building (I don't know why the senior building was separated from the freshmen, sophomore and junior building)

"MIKAN! You're back from Tokyo!!" he said, and hugged me.

"Onii-chan!!!" I said, and hugged him back. I missed Tsubasa so much. When my other so-called friends Sumire and co. didn't pay attention to me, I would always stay with my 'big brother'.

"Stop flirting with each other" Natsume said coolly.

"Ahh…Natsume Hyuuga. The ever-so-popular celebrity" Tsubasa said, letting go off me.

"Who are you, bastard?" Natsume asked, looking at Tsubasa head to toe.

"HEY!! Don't call Tsubasa a bastard!! He's a senior, you know!!"

"And what do I care if he's a frikkin senior or not?"

"Don't worry Mikan, he's just another of those guys with a superior-complex personality"

"Huh? What do you mean, onii-chan?"

"NOTHING" Natsume yelled and glared at Tsubasa. "You two are flirts"

"TSUBASA, has a girlfriend"

"And it's YOU obviously. How disgusting. You – a sophomore flirting with some senior…you're just some idiot who throws herself at guys"

"I HATE YOU" I shouted, and was about to slap Natsume when Tsubasa took hold of my hand.

"Haha. It's funny. You're jealous"

Natsume just glared at Tsubasa.

"You're overprotective over Mikan. It's funny to look at. You care about her so much"

What was onii-chan talking about?

"I…I…don't care about that dummy"

"Ahh…whatever" Tsubasa smiled. He handed me a pamphlet.

"You might wanna go later. It's gonna be fun"

_**SPRING FESTIVAL**_

"WOW! I love festivals!" I squealed, staring lovingly at the pamphlet.

"Yeah, wear your kimono okay? You and…Natsume might want to go. And tell Hotaru also – you might enjoy it"

"THANKS ONII-CHAN!!" I said, and hugged Tsubasa again.

YAY!! WE'RE GOING OUT LATER!!!!

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**Preview of Next Chapter:**

"_Why are you always going out with Yuu and Kokoroyomi!?…not that I care…it's just that…" – Ruka_

"_Look, Natsume!!! My grandpa used to tell me that when there are lots of fireflies, the gods are giving an opportunity to the people to make themselves EACH a wish. So close your eyes Natsume, and wish for something" – Mikan _

LOOKING FORWARD TO YOUR REVIEWS!! JA!!!


	18. Of Fireflies and Constellations

**Author's Note**

Thanks to the people who reviewed Chapter Seventeen: _black cat girl 2006, winglessfairy25, chammel, sdf, cutegabrielle16, tomboy ninja13, Sweet Melancholy, michiy0, rocketandroll, Llamas are Sexy, enrevolemina, me, amaYachii, anitsirhc and SasuNaru-Love. _And thanks to the people also who reviewed the past chapters but I was to lazy to acknowledge the people in some chapters. Hope you enjoy Chapter 18

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**Chapter Eighteen**

Of Fireflies and Constellations

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**-WELCOME TO THE ANNUAL SPRING FESTIVAL- **

Ah, the wonderful Spring Festival. A festival that devotes itself to the welcoming of the spring season – the trees were decorated in pink, violet and green lights and so were the flowers. There were stalls selling cotton candy and other fun things. There would be fire works later on so I was extremely excited.

When I came home, grandpa wasn't there. The house was empty and smelled of dried fish. Where was he? But I ignored the fact and went to my room. The homey smell of my room blew on my face as I opened my door. I hugged my pillows but I stared strangely at my Ruka blanket. Good thing Ruka wasn't in my house or I'd embarrass myself to the bone.

I took my kimono from my wardrobe. It was a beautiful kimono and the last time I wore it was during New Year. It was pink with the cherry blossom design. I went to the bathroom and undressed, I took a shower and then blow dried it. I fixed my hair into two buns and put a flower in my hair. I put on my kimono, some lip gloss and put on some slippers. I stared at the mirror with vanity. "Not bad, not bad at all"

Hotaru (who was wearing a dark blue kimono with the designs of marigold flowers), Ruka and Natsume were waiting outside. Natsume seemed to glance every so often but avoided my eyes every time I turned to him.

"I might now join you the whole festival" Hotaru said softly, as we walked towards the festival.

"WHAT? WHY?!" Ruka yelled. And he put his hands on his mouth and then inserted them in his pocket once more.

"I'm going to meet up with Yuu and Kokoroyomi" Hotaru responded.

"B-but it's a festival…we have to be together, right?" Ruka said, turning to Hotaru.

"I have to be with Yuu and Kokoroyomi because it's important" Hotaru said, her voice was kind of pissed-off already. She was getting extremely impatient with Ruka's pushiness.

With that, we turned to the festival. It looked more beautiful as I saw it awhile ago. I pranced around the place excitedly. Hotaru disappeared and met up with Yuu and Kokoroyomi.

"Hey Mikan…" Ruka said, tapping my shoulder.

"Huh? Oh…what?"

"Why does Hotaru always hang with Yuu and Kokoroyomi? I mean… is she in love with them or something?"

"WHAT? Yuu, Kokoroyomi and Hotaru? Gawd, you must be joking!! If she falls in love with any of them it would be the time when earth would lose its gravity"

"In other words, never" Natsume continued.

"Are you sure?"

"Why are you so concerned anyway?"

Ruka turned slightly pink. "Nothing"

At that moment, I saw Tsubasa and Misaki. They were such a good couple!! It would be sad if they ever broke up.

"**ONII-CHAN!!!"** I squealed and ran to Tsubasa for a hug, Tsubasa opened his arms but then Natsume extended his foot and I tripped, dirtying my kimono and hurting my knee.

"Hey! What did you do that for?!" I yelled. Natsume just grunted and started glaring at onii-chan.

"Hey, it's the overprotective boy again!" Tsubasa smiled, helping me up.

"You shouldn't do that to a girl you like or they'll never like you" Misaki told him, ruffling his head.

"I don't like that Strawberries girl" Natsume said glaring at the two of them.

"Then why do you keep on stopping her from coming to us? I mean, we won't do anything to her" Tsubasa said, raising his eyebrow with a glint of mischief in his eyes.

"NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS!!!" Natsume shouted and stomped off to where the lake was.

"Onii-chan, nee-san – why do guys and Natsume bully each other?" I asked, turning to Misaki and Tsubasa.

"Because it's too obvious already" Misaki told me, with a smile.

"What do you mean, obvious?"

"Ah…don't tell her – Misaki. Let her find out herself"

"But…" I stammered, as I watched Tsubasa and Misaki walk off.

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN, OBVIOUS?!!?!?!"

"Oy, Mikan…where's Hotaru?" Ruka said, running up to me – panting.

"Hey, where have you been?"

"Running all over the festival"

"Why?"

"Uh…"

"Oh, you're probably looking for Hotaru. Um, she's probably over there!!" I said, pointing to the field.

Then, Ruka ran off.

I spent most of my time in the festival eating cotton candy. I love cotton candy. But it wasn't as much fun without your friends. Sumire, Nonoko and Anna were no where to be found and I don't know where the hell grandpa is and it would be too much of a bore to go back home and watch TV or something.

I walked off to where the lake was. It was a still lake. The smell of fresh water was enticing. The moon's reflection was on the lake. It was a beautiful view. Sometimes, when I'm pissed-off I would go there and clear my thoughts, or simply roll up my pants or carry my skirt and dip my legs in the cold water and let the fish tickle my toes.

It was quite dark, the sound of the crickets could hardly be heard because the music of the festival was so loud. I removed my slippers and felt the nice, cold feeling of the stones and the way the grass would tickle your feet and legs and make it feel itchy.

The only light that was there was the moon, and there was someone sitting by the lake – removing petals of a flower.

It was Natsume.

"Hey" I said, sitting beside him. He grunted as he removed the last petal of the flower and tore the stem. He threw the petals into the lake and looked up.

"What was that? Some kind of ritual?"

"None of your business" he replied.

"Hey, how's Kaito?" I asked him.

"He's having this kind of therapy to get rid off his stupid obsession"

"Oh, you mean the defrosted chicken, thing?"

"What else? He's the only person I know who sleeps beside a defrosted chicken stuffed toy. He's crazy"

"Yeah… I can't believe he's **my boyfriend" **I laughed. Natsume seemed to twitch when I said 'my boyfriend'. I don't know why.

All of a sudden, the sound of the crickets completely silenced. Then there were several glowing things that started flying slowly from the other side. It was a group of fireflies. Their glow was so soothing, it was as if they were telling you that in the depth of extreme darkness, there will still be light – no matter how small it is. The light is in you.

"Look, Natsume" I said, tapping Natsume's shoulder.

"Hn?"

"My grandpa used to tell me that when there are lots of fireflies, the gods are giving an opportunity to the people to make themselves EACH a wish. So close your eyes Natsume, and wish for something"

"Ugh. I don't believe in wishing for stupid stuff" Natsume responded icily.

"Oh come on, Natsume you're so corny" I said, and I stood up and cupped a firefly. It buzzed inside my two palms. I laughed because it tickled and returned to Natsume.

I slightly opened my palm and the glow escaped out of my hands. Natsume's face was lit up – I could see his face. He was quite handsome in the light.

I cant be falling for him because that's not possible for a person like me to fall in love with some self-centered moron.

"Why don't you wish for something?" Natsume said, looking at me. I let go off the firefly and it flew away.

"Why should I?"

"You were the stupid one who said about that thing with wishes"

"Oh, I wished for things when I was younger. But then, right now why should I?"

"What are you talking about?"

"Everything, everyone – I need, want and care for have already come into my life!"

Natsume just stared at me.

"The gods have blessed me. I'm happy for what I have. My glass is neither half empty or half full. I'm satisfied"

"You know," Natsume said – looking at the fireflies.

"What?"

He looked at me for a second and stared at me. He went close to me and hit my head.

"That's the most stupid thing I heard"

"You're so corny Natsume!!" I said, hitting him back but he dodged my hit skillfully.

"Dumb fireflies" he said, stretching his arms.

"What's so dumb about fireflies? They have done nothing wrong to you!!!"

"Ah…whatever" Natsume said.

"But…."

Natsume put his hand on my lips. "Shut up" he said.

"I'm watching the fireflies"

He removed his hand and just stared at the fireflies. Yes, Natsume. Although you don't want to admit it, you're happy for what you have too, aren't you? And you appreciate nature even though you're so rotten.

I wonder…

Are you happy that you met me?

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The stars were wonderful this evening. They sparkled so beautifully. Hotaru guessed that she had been in Tokyo for so long, and the city lights during the evening of clubs, department stores, restaurants and even Tokyo Media Industries would blind her and the rest of the wonderful beauty of the stars that awaited them during the night sky.

Hotaru sat down on the field, with a camera telescope in her hands. You see, her telescope had a small camera installed in it already for taking photos of the stars. Yuu and Kokoroyomi were beside her, taking down notes.

Ruka watched the three of them behind a tree. _I don't know why I'm doing this_

"Hey, Hotaru – Yuu and I will just get some drinks there. Do you want some?"

"No, thank you" Hotaru responded as she glanced at them and returned to taking photos of the sky.

Yuu and Kokoroyomi went back to the festival. Ruka walked up to Hotaru and kicked the chair she was sitting on.

"What was that for?" Hotaru asked, not turning around.

"I don't know. How are your boyfriends?"

"They're not my boyfriends, Ruka" Hotaru responded, with a tone of annoyance in her voice.

"Ah…whatever" Ruka said, grabbing the chair what Yuu was sitting on and sat beside Hotaru.

"Why do you always hang out with them anyway? Not that I care it's just that…"

Hotaru smirked. "I'm getting the sudden impression that you're jealous" she said.

"Me? Jealous?!?! You've got to be kidding me!"

"Then why do you keep on asking these questions?"

"Well it's not my fault that so many guys just fall in love with you just like that!!! I mean…you've got three guys in love with you and you're not even giving them a chance"

"Three guys?" Hotaru muttered.

"Yeah!! Yuu…Kokoroyomi and…"

Hotaru turned to Ruka. "And who? Yuu and Kokoroyomi are just two people"

"NEVER MIND!!!" Ruka yelled and ruffled his hair so much that it hurt his head.

"But answer my question" he continued.

"Oh, alright" Hotaru said, turning to Ruka.

"I'm the president of the Photography Club and I take photos and stuff. I don't like being disturbed because I have to concentrate on the angle, to measure whether the light in the area is enough or very little. I cannot afford to humiliate myself by presenting to other people – ugly and amateur photographs" she said and turned back to the telescope.

"The rest of the club members are enjoying themselves in the festival. I don't like festivals. My only passion is photography" she continued.

"Then who are Yuu and Kokoroyomi?"

"They are very good in astronomy. They know the constellations which is sort of our club project now"

"B-but…I know the constellations too!!" Ruka said, his jealous bone triggering once more.

"See? That's Aries" Ruka said, pointing to the sky.

"Where?" Hotaru said, moving her telescope towards the direction Ruka was pointing.

Ruka took Hotaru's hand and pointed it to the sky.

"Aries" he told her.

Then he realized that he was holding Hotaru's hand.

"Uh…sorry" he said, letting go.

Hotaru just continued taking photographs – to conceal her blushing.

"Hotaru?"

"Hmm?"

"You want me to tell you more constellations?

"Yeah – that would be fine"

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"Natsume, you can talk now. The fireflies have flown away for some time now and you're still quiet" Mikan said, losing her patience.

"Keep quiet, polka-dots" he replied.

"Ugh. You're nothing but a pervert!!!!" Mikan yelled and attempted to hit him, but again – he skillfully dodged the hit.

Before Natsume could say anything, fireworks started shooting up in the sky.

"Do you remember, Natsume?" Mikan asked – tapping the arm of Natsume.

"Remember what, stupid?"

"A few days after we met, I got kidnapped and we watched the fireworks together"

"Oh yeah. You were so stupid…and until now you are" Natsume responded.

"You know, when I was smaller I saw fireflies and I wished that one day, when I'm sixteen – I would watch the fireworks in Nagoya with someone I cared about – so I'm enjoying it now better than the fireworks we watched in Tokyo" Mikan smiled.

Natsume just turned away.

"Wishes do come true, ne – Natsume?"

Natsume didn't say anything.

After all,

He couldn't agree more.

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**To be continued… **

Btw, some of my recommended authors are in my 'dedications' in my profile. Better read their stories!!!


	19. This is the Kiss

**Author's Note**

Thank you to the following people who reviewed…ahem: _enrevolemina, little doggy, Star Sapphirex, o.Twilight Dreams.o, Natsumiyu, Natsumesama, rocketandroll, tomboy ninja 13, me, michiy0, Hikari the Keyblade of Hope, SasuNaru-Love, anitsirhc, anime-fangirl—o.0-vm, EzMouse, SnowMirage and winglessfairy25, facadephazzad and k3gh. _Thank you everyone!! And hope you guys had a happy Christmas!!!

Oh by the way, if you have been wondering why Hotaru has been staying in Tokyo even though she isn't working for MFL…

**Hotaru: **Because I asked my school if I could stay in Tokyo to take some photographs for the Photography Club. I'm allowed to stay there for one more week.

And if Mikan asked permission from her grandpa if she can act…

**Mikan: **Yeah. When I agreed, they sent him a contract or something to allow me and stuff.

Sorry for your confusion!!! Enjoy the next chapter!!!!

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**Chapter Nineteen **

This is The Kiss

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I stared outside Hotaru's bed room window. It was the homey Nagoya view. I didn't sleep in my own house because when I arrived around after midnight grandpa still wasn't there. I was getting extremely worried about him. Where was he? It wasn't like him to just disappear like that. Couldn't he just leave a message? Couldn't he just leave a note?

I stood up from the couch where I slept on. I removed the blanket and stared outside the window. Hotaru and I were neighbors. There was no car in my house's driveway. Grandpa hadn't come home. Or maybe he took the bus? No…grandpa doesn't believe in public transport.

Ruka and Natsume spent the night in Hotaru's house also. Of course not in the same room as us…because that would really be weird…they spent the night in the guest room. Hotaru's mother was extremely thrilled to have celebrities spending the night at her house. Of course, thanks to Hotaru's inventions – we were able to keep snooty fans out of the house. Well…hopefully.

After taking a shower, Hotaru and I went to the dining room to have breakfast. Ruka, Hotaru's older brother and Hotaru's parents were eating breakfast already.

"Ohayo" the two of us said and sat down quietly in the dining table.

"Help yourself to some pancakes…"

"Oh, Mikan – can you call Natsume from the guestroom? We're out of pancake mix and I don't want him to get cranky and get pissed that there's no more breakfast. I have to run to the grocery"

"Oh. Okay" I said, and stood up. I went to the guest room of Hotaru. It was a blue room with two futons. Natsume was sleeping on one. I watched him breathe as he slept and toss and turn.

A flash of last night's festival appeared in my head.

**Could it be…**

**That I'm falling for him? **

Suddenly, my wrist slipped and I fell on top of him on the futon. He yowled and saw me look nervously at him…inches away from his face…he turned away and I turned slightly pink, I sat up.

"I…I'm…I'm sorry… Mrs. Imai just told me that…breakfast is…"

Before I could finish, he stood up and looked at me menacingly.

"Whatever. Just leave and let me change"

I turned pinker. "Uh…I'm sorry" I said and ran out the door.

My heart was racing so fast. Why was I acting this way? I felt flustered and heat was rising on my cheeks. I've never, ever felt this nervous feeling before. I felt that my knees were weak and I was afraid to go further. I couldn't be falling in love with him. Because I made a promise to myself as I was watching My Favorite Loser episode 1 when I was fourteen…

"I swear by my eternal love for Ruka Nogi…that I shall not fall in love with that obnoxious, self-centered Natsume Hyuuga for the rest of my life. If I were to, it would be when I live on the Planet Uranus"

I even made a dance for that promise. But this feeling was too enormously intense to stop. I've never felt my heart beat this fast…except for the time I saw Ruka and fell in love with him the first time his face hit the camera…but this was different. It probably wasn't just a crush anymore.

Suddenly, the door to the guestroom swung open (I forgot that I was leaning on it the whole time). I fell on the hard wooden floor and my face fell flat.

"What are you doing here, apple-pie panties?"

I stood up and stomped on his foot. "NOTHING YOU PERVERT!!!!" I yelled and stomped off to the dining room.

_**OH MY GOD I HATE HIM LIKE HELL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! **_

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"STOP IT!!!!!" Ruka yelled, flailing his arms helplessly as Hotaru snapped away photographs of him falling into a bush clumsily. Ruka definitely knew that Hotaru wouldn't just stop taking photos like that, but it didn't hurt to try, did it?

"No." Hotaru responded dryly as she took ten photographs.

"This will be a hot seller in Ebay" she continued.

Natsume and I watched Ruka humiliate himself in front of Hotaru's camera. I haven't talked to Natsume since breakfast. I don't know what to say to him anymore, everything just seems so awkward. The only time I would speak to him is when he would piss me off. But now, whenever I speak to him – my heart just beats so loud that I can't even hear my own voice.

We got to the restaurant. It was more of a café. I ordered a fruit parfait as Mr. Yamida gave us photos of this resort.

It was a beautiful resort called _Purple Island_. It had crystal clear waters and white sand. It was so beautiful. I've never EVER, EVER been to a beach before. This would be my first time!!! I have a bathing suit and I've never gotten to use it (No, I'm just exaggerating. I've used it twice in Nonoko and Anna's pool parties).

"Purple Island is thanking us for acknowledging them in one of our episodes"

Oh yes. I remember episode 67 but then I wasn't there. WHO CARES??!

"So they're offering us a one-night stay in one of their executive cottages with VIP treatment"

**AH…**

**VIP TREATMENT… **

"So the jet is arriving in the airport at four. Be ready. We're expecting you to be thirty minutes early"

Ugh. You don't have to be so strict, Mr. Yamida.

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Surely enough, we came to the airport thirty minutes early (after packing our stuff) and were ushered to our jet (with Yuuka and Krissy, because of course they are part of the cast as well). After waiting up to four o' clock, the jet took off to Purple Island. We're leaving Nagoya again…oh my…I didn't even get to see grandpa yet…

During the whole trip to Purple Island, my mind was extremely preoccupied with thoughts of grandpa. I miss him so much. I searched everywhere in the house for a decent letter from him but there was none. It was like he just vanished in thin air. He didn't even call the hotel (I gave him the number of the hotel) or call me in my cell phone. What was wrong with him?

By five, we reached Purple Island.

We got off at the landing ground, and we were lead to the real resort. IT WAS A WONDERFUL RESORT (Well, I've never seen one so there must be better than this – but who cares?). Palm and coconut trees were aligned, crystal blue waters sparkled in the heat of the sun, you could see exotic looking fish swim gracefully in the shore, children with buckets making sand castles and picking up sea shells, hot foreigners running ala Baywatch… ah…heaven on earth.

Before we could swim, we were lead to our cottages. Hotaru and I were in one cottage and Natsume and Ruka were in different cottages (they didn't expect Hotaru to be coming) so we had to stay in one cottage.

It was a pretty cottage that was made of bamboo, there were futons laid on the ground, a TV, a wardrobe and of course, an air-conditioner. The bathroom had a Jacuzzi bath tub, toilet (of course) and a sink.

"LET'S SWIM!!!" I yelled, after packing our stuff.

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I ran out of my cottage wearing my swimsuit, with a beach ball in my hands, sun block and shades. The wonderful feeling of sand rubbing against my feet was wonderful (except the fact that a crab pinched my toe, and it totally pissed me off)

I laid a blanket on the sand and put on sun block. I loved the sound of the waves and the birds. Hotaru came taking photos of the people, the beach, the fish and anything she could get her hands on.

Hotaru positioned her camera in front of the shore, and then an unwanted extra popped out below. Ruka.

"Move" Hotaru said.

"I'm just going for a swim" Ruka told her, Hotaru lowered her camera.

"Whatever" Hotaru muttered, then she didn't notice that Ruka accidentally tripped her as she walked closer to the shore and she tumbled down the shore and swallowed a bit of the saltwater.

She spat out some water in her mouth and shook her head. Camera film swam on the surface of the water. Hotaru stared at it in horror and looked at the astonished Ruka who looked at the film like a worried dog. Hotaru stood up and picked up her camera and the film. She hit Ruka's face with the film and walked off.

She picked up her camera and looked at it as if she had lost a loved one.

"You broke my camera"

Before Ruka could reply, Hotaru picked up a handful of sand and threw it on his eyes.

"It's unforgivable" she muttered.

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"I HATE YOU!!!" I yelled at Natsume, looking angrily at him as he smirked at the destroyed sand castle I made. It was now just lumps of sand once more, and a few broken shells.

"DID YOU KNOW IT TOOK ME THREE HOURS TO MAKE THE SAND CASTLE?!?!?!"

Natsume just smirked.

It was already sunset. I spent the whole afternoon playing with my beach ball, making attempts to provoke a nearby crab, swim, catch fish and then return them, hunt for starfish (I accidentally swallowed a seaweed and I gagged for a few minutes then I spat it out after Natsume hit me on the back).

Before I knew it, night time greeted us. After having dinner in the restaurant, I forgot my beach bag on the beach.

I ran back to the beach. I saw I had a missed call in my cellphone. It was from an unknown caller. Suddenly, it started calling again. Before I could answer it, it started raining. I ran to the shade and answered the call.

"Hello?"

"_Hello? Is this Mikan Sakura?" _

"Uh…yes?" Was this a stalker?

"_I'm a doctor from Nagoya General Hospital. We've been trying to contact you for a long time, but your hotel phone was out of order and your cell phone was out of area. So…" _

A doctor from Nagoya General hospital?

"_Your grandfather Mr. Sakura is here right now in room 802 because he suffered a heart attack the other week and he's still not recovering – although he's still hanging on…we thought you'd like to know" _

I dropped my cell phone.

Grandpa…had a heart attack? And I didn't know?

**FLASHBACK **

5 year old Mikan…

"GRANDPA!!!!"

I ran and hugged my grandfather. I loved him so much. Both of us sat down for dinner which he prepared for the two of us.

"Why don't I have parents, grandpa?"

"Because, my dear Mikan – they have turned into angels and become one of those million stars in the sky"

"Will you become an angel, grandpa?"

"Of course not…not as long as you're with me. Grandpa will stay with you as long as you live"

**END OF FLASHBACK**

The rain hardened. I started crying. Grandpa had a heart attack. And while I was having the time of my life in Tokyo…he was suffering a heart attack. This can damage his nervous system and so on… I picked up my cell phone. The doctor was still talking.

"T-thank you doctor" I muttered and turned off my cell phone.

I'm such a bad granddaughter. I should've stayed back in Nagoya if I had known better. Grandpa is very old. I should've known that he cannot be left alone without someone to care for him. But he told me before I went

"_Don't worry, Mikan!!! Grandpa is as strong as could be!" _

And because I believed him, I was careless and got on that airplane. I even had a fight with him before I went on that airplane…whether to wear a jacket or not. I'm such a bad granddaughter. I hate myself.

Maybe I should go back to Nagoya

I crawled to my cottage, memories of my grandfather swept across my head. I collapsed on my door mat and hit my back several times against the hard, bamboo door. I hate myself.

Suddenly, my cottage door swung open. Apparently, it wasn't MY cottage. I looked up, and Natsume was looking down at me.

"What the hell are you doing here?"

I stood up, my hair and my clothes drenched of the downpour. I leaned my head on Natsume's chest and started crying.

Even though I hate Natsume, I wanted to be near him right now. It was as if he would make me feel better.

He closed the door and I collapsed on the floor and started crying again. I could feel his heart beat which was now racing. The two of us were kneeling on the floor of his cottage. He watched me cry as I poured out tears which stung my eyes, I looked at him in blurry vision. I could feel my eyes reddening, and I was coughing already.

"N-Natsume" I whispered. "My…my…grandpa…"

He put his finger on my lips.

I rubbed my eyes and I saw him clearer. He glared at me and took me by the shoulders.

_**What was just happening?**_

Everything occurred in slow motion. He grabbed me by the shoulders and pulled me to a kiss. I was so surprised. I felt his lips sink into mine as he put his palms against my cheeks. My eyes widened as I felt my cheeks flush into a scarlet color. What was happening? Was he kissing me? This was a dream right?

Before I knew it, I relaxed into the kiss and finally closed my eyes. Tears streamed down my cheeks as I put my arms around his neck.

And we just sat there…kissing.

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**TO BE CONTINUED!!!!!! **


	20. Questioning the Heart

**Author's Note**

**THANK YOU EVERYONE** for all the wonderful reviews that you've given me since the Prologue. Reading all your reviews made me so happy and encouraged me to write some more. I hope you like this chapter. I'm not sure if I'm going to end this fan fic already but…read on!!!! Thanks to the people who reviewed, or even just read: _anime-fangirl-o.0-vm, me, rukatoki, tomboy ninja13, EzMouse, Shiori90210, iluvB.R, mayelrules13, Orange Orange, little doggy, wingless fairy 25, Natsumiyu, Sakura-chan0610, may520, Fullmoon05, Soul of the Rain, Royal Goddess, Tsubame Sakura, o.TwilightDreams.o, icedprincess6063_. If you reviewed and your name isn't in this list, sorry – I probably missed it out. But thanks for reading and reviewing anyway!!!

**Disclaimer**

I do not own GA

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**Chapter Twenty**

Questioning the Heart

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Morning arrived.

I opened my eyes, finding the bamboo ceiling of the cottage and the ceiling fan turning above me. I was still wearing my t-shirt and shorts. I sat up, coming to find myself in the sofa of the cottage. Did I sleep in Natsume's cottage the whole night? I felt my cheeks heat up as I remembered him kissing me last night. I stretched and stood up and went outside.

I was feeling much better than last night. Although my cheeks were numb with dry tears pulling them, I seemed to feel like I could fight the world by myself. I walked to the beach and breathed the salty ocean air and closed my eyes to relax into the song of the seagulls.

When I opened my eyes, Hotaru was standing next to me.

"You spent the night in Natsume's cottage" she said softly.

"What's so bad about that?" I asked, turning to Hotaru – noticing her 'strict' tone.

She looked at me.

"We didn't do anything there except kiss!!" I yelled.

"So you have finally kissed each other, have you?" she said, sitting down on the sand.

"I thought you liked Ruka" Hotaru continued.

"That was just a crush!!" I smiled.

"So, are you saying you're in love with Natsume?"

I just stared at her.

"Remember, you agreed to be the girlfriend of Kaito. And just because he's not here at the moment doesn't mean you can run around and kiss other people"

Oh right. I was Kaito's girlfriend.

"Humph" I grunted and I went to the café to have breakfast. Ruka and the rest were eating breakfast.

"Ohayo" they said in unison.

Natsume was there also, but he was reading some manga while drinking water. Had he forgotten about that kiss last night? I remember when he kissed me on the cheek… and he acted as if nothing happened the next day. So does that mean that every kiss he does doesn't mean a single thing?

Before I could say anything to him, Mr. Yamida stood up from his seat and wiped his mouth.

"We have to get back to work today…" he announced.

"Oh, we're going back to Tokyo already?"

"Yes. Around six – so I suggest that you guys start packing"

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"Hotaru…are you still angry at me?" Ruka asked, as the dark-haired girl ignored him several times. He was getting very impatient with her temper, but he couldn't stand the heart-wrenching fact that she was snubbing him all the time.

"Yes" she replied flatly, her back faced toward her luggage as she placed her clothes inside.

"You DO know that my camera was expensive – and now I have to use my amateur camera and sell ugly photos to save enough money to buy another professional camera. I was going to buy a new one with all those photos I took of you but it seems like they're gone" her voice dropped with a hint of sadness.

"I'm sorry, alright? You know it wasn't on purpose"

Hotaru didn't say anything. She stood up and went to the bathroom.

"HOW MANY TIMES DO I HAVE TO SAY SORRY FOR YOU TO FORGIVE ME!?!?" Ruka yelled, and banged on the bathroom door.

No response.

_Hotaru-san…how many times? _

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Ruka stomped out of the cottage and folded his arms as he sat down on the porch of the cottage. He was really pissed now.

"Hey Ruka" I said, sitting down beside him.

He just grunted.

"Hotaru's mad at you, isn't she?" I chuckled.

"How do you know?"

"She has the same effect on other people when she's pissed"

"Will she hate me forever?"

I looked at him and smiled.

"You like Hotaru, don't you?"

He turned pink.

"W-what? What are you talking about? Well, as a friend yes…"

"No. I can tell that you like her...not as a friend"

Ruka looked at me with a puzzled expression.

"You want to be near her all the time, don't you?"

"I don't have time for this!"

"If you don't tell her your feelings, time might run out you know…"

"How about you and Natsume?"

I just stared at him.

"I have to start packing my clothes" I told him and stood up, I closed the door and sighed.

I don't know if I have feelings for Natsume or not…

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**MEANWHILE**

"Mr. Yamida…"

"Yes?"

"Take a look at this new issue of _CelebrityJaps _magazine"

Mr. Yamida peered into the pages of the magazine and his eyes widened.

"Oh my God"

"What are we going to do about it? This will certainly ruin MFL's reputation if the rumor heats up"

"We cant afford to lose our viewers…I heard that MFL is in line with Persona's sitcom, Dancing With Dalmatians and if we don't do anything about it, Dancing With Dalmatians will win best sitcom for the year. We have to keep our reputation"

"What should we do?"

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I came here because I had a gigantic crush on Ruka Nogi. His blonde hair, his mesmerizing eyes, his face looked like it was carved by angels. I was so obsessed with him. I had icons, screensavers, replicas of his things, posters…anything that had his face or name on it – I would have to have.

Then, I became the girlfriend of Kaito Hyuuga. Another hot guy. But whenever we would be with each other, it wouldn't have a spark… especially with the defrosted chicken hobby he possessed. It was too weird.

I expected to fall in love with Ruka.

But I never expected to fall in love with Natsume.

The obnoxious, self-centered, sarcastic, egotistical and arrogant guy… I expected never to have feelings for him. Never to feel my heart beat whenever I think of him. But things just don't happen as planned…

But why should I fall in love with him? He makes my life a living hell. Plus, he's a sand-castle destroyer.

Before I could sort out my thoughts, someone knocked on our cottage door. I answered it, it was Mr. Yamida.

"Mikan, could we talk to you for awhile?"

Mr. Yamida led us to a private room. It looked like a bamboo-style version of the Celebrity Lounge. I sat down on the sofa along with the rest of the cast of MFL. His face wasn't the silly Jonathan Yamida face I knew. It was much different. A disappointed expression was plastered on his face. It looked like someone had died.

He put an issue of _Celebrity Japs _magazine. I looked at it.

"Page forty three" he said.

I looked at him worriedly and opened to page forty three. The headline read:

Sakura Mikan, By Day a Celebrity…By Night

_**A THIEF**_

Reported cases of a pig-tailed brunette stealing jewelry from a local jewelry shop have been a big issue. The pig tailed brunette has been seen as well shoplifting with her face covered with a hat. The hidden cameras have zoomed in the mysterious pig tailed figure who has been stealing things have announced that the thief could be suspected as Mikan Sakura! Can this 'My Favorite Loser' co-star end up in bars in the end? She has stolen fourteen million yen worth of clothes and jewelry…

I dropped the magazine, not being able to look at the rest of the article. There were photographs of the thief. But they weren't ME.

"Mr. Yamida – you couldn't possibly believe that – that thief is me! I don't shoplift. If I want to buy stuff, I buy them with my own money, not break the law"

"Of course we believe you, Mikan"

"R-Ruka…you believe me…don't you?" I said, turning to Ruka.

He smiled at me nervously.

"N-Natsume-kun??" I said, searching for support.

He just stared at me.

"None of you believe me? I swear!!"

I wanted to cry. There was a knot in my throat pulling me to rock bottom.

"Mikan, of course we believe you. It's just that, if this rumor heats up more – My Favorite Loser could have a bad reputation. We would lose viewers, be the main topic in tabloids, have paparazzi hovering all over us all the time…and we would lose the Best Sitcom award of the year. We heard that Persona's sitcom: Dancing With Dalmatians are closing in to number one. And we're plunging down to the lowest shows in Tokyo Media because of this rumor"

"So?" I said, the knot in my throat tightening. I stared at everyone in the room who were looking at me sadly.

"So," Mr. Yamida said and picked up the magazine.

"We have to ask you to leave Tokyo. No, leave My Favorite Loser...forever, probably"

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	21. Is this What you Call a Heart Break?

**Author's Note**

The end is extremely close. Anyway, thank you to the people who reviewed Chapter 20: _iced princess 6063little doggy, Anime-tanaka, may520, cutegabrielle16, EzMouse, anime-fan-girl-o.0-vm, Sakura-chan0610, Xia-pyon, chammel, Royal Goddess, wingless-fairy25. _Oh by the way, I've got 2 new fanfics I've published. They're: **Fifteen Days to Love Me **and **When Darkness Falls **– can you try to have the time to check it out? Thanks

**NOW PLAYING**

_**Someday You Will Be Loved by Death Cab for Cutie**_

Suggested by: _Soul of the Rain _

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**Chapter 21**

This is What You Call "Heart Break"

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"W-what? Leave Tokyo? Leave My Favorite Loser? You must be joking right?" I said, looking around the room. The knot in my throated wanted to break and become tears, but it was humiliating for me to cry like a baby. I'm a teenager for God's sake!! And it's not cool to cry.

Mr. Yamida shook his head. "But Mikan…it doesn't change the fact that we all like you…it's just that…"

"F-forget it" I smiled weakly. "It's okay. I don't care"

_I once knew a girl  
In the years of my youth  
With eyes like the summer  
All beauty and truth  
In the morning I fled  
Left a note and it read  
Someday you will be loved_

Mr. Yamida gave me a disappointed look and left the room along with the rest of the staff. Krissy and Yuuka left as well and it was just me, Ruka, Hotaru and Natsume.

"I guess we'll be leaving tomorrow, Hotaru-chan"

"Thank God. I'll be able to destroy my piggy bank and get all my two year savings to buy the new camera". She glanced at Ruka so that his guilt would thicken.

"I'm going to miss everybody. I'm going to miss Ruka and also…"

I turned to the raven-haired boy who was just engrossed in his manga.

"Natsume-kun"

"Hn" he grunted and raised his head from his manga. "What?"

"I'm glad I met everyone. I don't regret anything you know, Natsume-kun – even though…"

"Shut up" he said.

_I cannot pretend that I felt any regret  
Cause each broken heart will eventually mend  
As the blood runs red down the needle and thread  
Someday you will be loved_

I lost my temper.

"Why don't you shut up, Natsume?"

He just looked at me.

"Haven't you had enough of your childish insults? It's sickening me!"

"You're leaving, anyway"

I stopped.

"Natsume-kun…don't you even care?"

He looked at me from his manga and shrugged.

"But…how about that…k-kiss the other day?"

"Oh…I don't know about that"

"BUT KISSES ARE SUPPOSED TO MEAN SOMETHING"

He just shrugged.

"It meant nothing, dummy"

That was when I started to cry. Tears streamed down my cheeks as my eyes watered. My cheeks felt that intense burning sensation as I rubbed my eyes hardly and collapsed on the sofa and cried. Ruka, Hotaru and Natsume just watched me cry.

"YOU LIAR, NATSUME"

_You'll be loved you'll be loved  
Like you never have known  
The memories of me  
Will seem more like bad dreams  
Just a series of blurs  
Like I never occurred  
Someday you will be loved_

"You know, what – Natsume. I'm so glad to leave Tokyo" I said, removing my eyes from my hands.

"It's…it's the best thing that happened to me"

Natsume's face expression changed.

"We have one thing in common, Natsume-kun"

"What is that?" he asked.

"We both hate each other"

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**TRAIN STATION**

Whispers…murmurs...rumors…

I hate them all.

This was the first time I felt an intense jolt of hate for everyone. For _CelebrityJaps_ magazine, for Mr. Yamida, for the cast and crew of MFL…for Natsume… I hate them all.

"Hotaru-chan?"

Hotaru looked at me.

"You were very stupid in the resort"

"…And you're against me as well"

"No. Because as your friend, I have to remind you when you're acting stupid"

"I was just defending myself"

"No. You were lying"

"Natsume's the one lying"

"You lied that you hated him"

"That is nothing but TRUE"

"You're more of a liar than Natsume is…Natsume is just stubborn"

"AND how do you know so much about Natsume all of a sudden?"

"Well…RUKA told me that…"

"Ah…you're new boyfriend"

"He's not…"

"NO. I'm in a bad mood right now. I'm pissed at everyone. So I'm just gonna shut up"

The whole trip I remained silent. I would glance at Hotaru every so often to see if she'll finally speak to me but she was reading this Shakespeare book with too many 'thys' and 'thous' in it that I got a headache just by peeking at the pages. I looked out the train window, the city was slowly vanishing and into the country it was.

Nagoya. I haven't seen you in a week. But still…

I can't wait to see you and forget about that bastard Natsume.

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School was over by the time I got there, so I went to the hospital to visit jii-chan.

He lay on his hospital bed, he looked malnourished and had dextrose attached to his hand.

"Jii-chan, are you feeling well?" I asked sitting beside him.

Jii-chan nodded. "Feeling better, Mikan-chan. Might be home next week"

"Jii-chan… I missed you so much" I said, starting to cry again.

"There's no time for tears now"

_You may feel alone when you're falling asleep  
And everytime tears roll down your cheeks  
But I know your heart belongs to someone you've yet to meet  
Someday you will be loved_

I walked home – the hospital was super far from my house but I didn't want to ride the bus or anything. I thought walking home would be best for sorting out my thoughts that have become turmoil. This was so confusing.

I arrived at the house and went to the living room, I switched on the lights and found Kaito sitting down on one of the cushions, facing the television.

"Welcome home, Mikan-chan"

"Kaito…w-what are you doing here?"

Kaito stood up and pushed me to the wall. I was so shocked. What the hell…?

"Mikan-chan…you're my girlfriend…we haven't broken up yet, have we?"

_You'll be loved you'll be loved  
Like you never have known  
The memories of me  
Will seem more like bad dreams  
Just a series of blurs  
Like I never occurred  
Someday you will be loved_

"I…don't understand"

"You prove it to me… by kissing me" he said, and locked his hands with mine and attempted to crash his lips on mine. I watched as he shut his eyes and felt him getting closer. I wriggled to get out of his grasp but his hands held mine tight and I was trapped between him and my wall.

_**SLAP **_

Kaito backed off. He touched his cheek – his face having the cross between shocked and angry.

"Boyfriends and girlfriends kiss, you know" he said.

"YES. BUT NOT BY FORCE" I yelled.

"What the hell is wrong with you?"

"I'm sorry…Kaito…I don't…feel anything for you…no sparks between the two of us"

"KISS ME, DAMMIT!!" Kaito said and grabbed me by the shoulders and forced me into a kiss. I pushed him to the ground and started crying.

"GET OUT OF HERE KAITO" I yelled.

He glared at me.

"And I thought we were a couple" he said and stood up.

"I'm going to make you love me"

"YOU CAN'T FORCE ME. BECAUSE I'M IN LOVE WITH SOMEONE ELSE" I blurted out. Then I immediately covered my mouth with my hand. Did I just say that out loud?

"Oh? Who is it?" Kaito said, walking towards me with an evil glint in his eyes.

"Is it Natsume?"

I pushed Kaito out of the living room.

"NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS" I yelled and locked the door

Kaito banged several times on the door as I cried in the darkness of my living room.

"MIKAN!!!"

Oh God…

Is this what you call a broken heart?

It's more painful than anything I've ever experienced…

Natsume-kun…

I think…

I'm in love you.

_You'll be loved you'll be loved  
Like you never have known  
The memories of me  
Will seem more like bad dreams  
Just a series of blurs  
Like I never occurred  
Someday you will be loved  
Someday you will be loved_

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**END OF CHAPTER**

The end is definitely SUPER DUPER DUPER DUPER NEAR!!!!


	22. Epilogue

**Author's Note**

This is the last chapter of My Favorite Loser, I would like to thank all of you for your reviews and I would like to thank to those who even just read it. All your support made me so happy and encouraged me to keep on writing. THANK YOU EVERYONE. You don't know how happy I am.

**Disclaimed**

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**EPILOGUE**

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"_No. You were lying" _

"_Natsume's the one lying" _

"_You lied that you hated him" _

"_That is nothing but TRUE" _

"_You're more of a liar than Natsume is… _

Yes.

I'm a liar. I lie to everyone. I even lie to myself. I don't even know what's the truth anymore. What's happening?

Is this what you call a broken heart, God?

It's so painful. It's like a million spears are cutting it into a million pieces, and though I try to pick them up and put them back together, it can't.

I stared at my computer, the wallpaper of My Favorite Loser was my display background in my desktop. It was a picture with faces of the cast carrying a banner that said: MY FAVORITE LOSER. I saw Natsume's face in the crowd of the cast, I deleted the wallpaper right away.

Then I started deleting all my icons, screenshots, wallpapers and everything that carried Natsume's face on it. I removed my Ruka posters and my Ruka collections and put them on the basement.

I went to the hall closet and picked up some new bed sheets, pillow cases and blankets. I fixed my bed and stared at the plain pink blanket which had replaced my "My Favorite Loser" blanket.

I cried myself to sleep that night. I had a nightmare that defrosted chickens were chasing me, and I was in Tokyo Media Industries, and no matter how many times I called for help – nobody would come to my rescue. Then I was consumed in defrosted chickens. I woke up panting and gasping for air. That was horrible.

I checked my alarm clock. It read: 6:00 am. I'd better get ready for school.

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"Hotaru-chan…" a voice called from the kitchen. Hotaru walked to the kitchen and ate her breakfast.

"Would you like to watch some TV for awhile? School will start in an hour so you have time to relax" Hotaru's mom said. Hotaru nodded and picked up the remote control. She randomly selected a number and it lead to an episode of "My Favorite Loser"

"Oh…you like My Favorite Loser already?" Hotaru's mom said, watching the show while doing the dishes.

"I hate MFL" Hotaru replied.

"Why so?"

"Because of the stupid cast"

"You've just met them. Are you sure nothing happened? Were you able to create a relationship with one of them?"

"No. But one of them was able to steal my camera"

"Hotaru-chan," Hotaru's mom said, sitting beside her and turning of the television.

"You must know by now that material things come and go. They can be made again. They're manufactured and shipped to different places of the world"

"And your point is?"

"Material things…can be recreated. But relationships, friends, loved ones – they're not like material possessions. They're not manufactured nor sold in stores, Ebay or any of those things. And I get the feeling that you have just thrown away someone you cared about thinking its just a toy…like your things"

"I didn't throw away Ruka!" Hotaru protested and her eyes widened and she looked down.

"Ruka Nogi?"

Hotaru didn't answer.

"Ruka is not a camera, Hotaru "

Hotaru stood up, her emotionless eyes looking a bit disappointed. "I'm…I'm going to school…"

"The camera may be bought again. But do you think Ruka can be bought?"

"Goodbye; mom…take care" Hotaru said, put on her school shoes and walked off.

_I'm not stupid. I know Ruka is not a damn camera. _

_Cameras take photos. They make memories. _

_Ruka…now… Ruka is just one of them. _

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"GET UP STUPID!" Ruka yelled and kicked Natsume's sofa. Natsume woke up with a start, he came to find himself in his living room with the television turned on to the Home Shopping Network.

"What's with the temper?"

"WHAT'S with YOU?" Ruka shouted and threw a pillow at Natsume.

"GOD, Ruka! What's wrong with you? Are you drunk or something?"

"Natsume, you're the stupid-est guy ever!"

Natsume just stared at him.

"You fall in love with someone and then you just drive her away"

"I didn't fall in love with someone"

"Then why did you keep on saying POLKA DOTS in your sleep when I arrived this morning?"

"Mind your own business" Natsume replied, his cheeks turning slight crimson

"Kaito spoke to me"

Natsume stopped. "He's back from therapy?"

"No. He's back from Nagoya"

"W-what… isn't that the hometown of the dumb girl?"

"He visited your beloved. And apparently, he wasn't welcome at his own girlfriend's home"

"Smelled like defrosted chicken, again huh?"

"NO. She was yelling things like: I'M IN LOVE WITH SOMEONE ELSE and stuff…"

"She certainly wasn't referring to me…"

Ruka threw another pillow at Natsume, and he dodged it. "Why do you even care so much about that my relationship with the stupid moron?" he demanded, getting extremely irritated

"Because Natsume! It's so obvious that you're in love with her! Everyone knows it except her! And what does it matter if everyone knows your feelings for her when the one you love is clueless?"

"Since when did you become such an expert on love?"

Ruka didn't reply.

"Ah…you've fallen in love with…the blackmailer" Natsume said, shuddering at the two last words.

"I broke her damn camera"

Before Natsume could reply, Ruka continued.

"And it seems it's the only thing in the world she cares about. So she hates me now…so I'm giving her a new one"

"Do you think she'll accept your apology?"

"How should I know? There's only one way!" Ruka said, his face lighting up.

"And what's that?"

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"SAKURA! If you think my class is boring then I suggest you step out!" Mr. Jinno yelled, banging the Math textbook on the teacher's table.

"Gomen!" I immediately said, and got up from my sleeping position. I sat up straight and tried my best to pay attention to the stupid Algebra lesson. I ended up staring at the window watching nothing go by.

_Natsume-kun… _

**Recess **

"Here's your scrapbook back" I said, handing over the scrapbook to Sumire and the rest.

"WHAT? No autograph of Natsume-kun?" Sumire yelled, and I wiped some saliva out of my cheek.

"No" I said. "Don't you remember the tabloids…they said that he's a bad autograph signer and stuff…"

"Ugh. You believe in those tabloids and magazines? Poor Natsume! Being judged by the public!"

"WELL I WAS JUDGED BY THE PUBLIC AS WELL!" I said, banging my fists on the table. Sumire glared at me and took a deep breath…

"You've changed ever since you've arrived from Tokyo. Just because you met the stars of My Favorite Loser doesn't mean you can boss us around like that. We're still human you know…right Hotaru-chan…Hotaru?"

"Hotaru's upstairs in the classroom. She told me to go ahead for lunch"

All of a sudden, we heard screaming outside. It wasn't the kind of screaming you would hear on murder shows. But the kind of screaming that would get you excited and thrilled – as if someone important was there.

I looked out the door and saw people gathering in a crowd in the gate of Junkuji High. What was the commotion? People were screaming and running in to get their notebooks and a pen. Was the prime minister or the queen of England here?

"What's happening?" I asked a junior who was screaming. Apparently, she didn't reply. She was too busy screaming her head off. Had the world gone mad?

A lot of people pushed me out of the crowd. I was getting pissed-off. What was happening? I needed to know so that my mind wouldn't be preoccupied with what happened later or I wouldn't feel left out if my friends started talking about what the buzz was about.

I pushed my way into the crowd, I fell down and scraped my leg and few times. Some people even cursed when I would push them out. Then I fell on the floor and decided to crawl my way into the center of the crowd.

When I finally got out, I stood up and saw what they were screaming and yelling about.

A limo stood before us.

A familiar boy was standing a few meters away from me, looking into my eyes.

"N-Natsume-kun?"

"Baka" he said. The crowd silenced.

I walked up to him. I was close to tears but I vowed to myself that I wouldn't show my true feelings…especially to Natsume.

"What the hell are you doing here?" I yelled. The crowd gasped at my boldness.

"I mean, I'm not some damsel-in-distress who needs her knight-in-shining-armor to make me stand on my own two legs…I mean, GOD! It's not like I need you…it's not like I even like you…it's not like I want you by my side…It's not like I love you Natsume!"

Then I started crying again.

"WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH ME?!" I screamed and rubbed my eyes.

"I expected to fall in love with Ruka NOT you! Because I HATED YOU NATSUME… I HATED YOU SO MUCH"

"BUT HOTARU-CHAN TOLD ME I'M A LIAR. AND I DON'T WANT TO BELIEVE THAT I'M A LIAR BECAUSE I THINK I KNOW THE TRUTH ALREADY NATSUME!" I yelled and took out my palm and was about to slap his face. To let go of my anger and to lie to myself again that that was what I really wanted.

He took my wrist as it neared his face.

"LET GO OFF ME!" I screeched and kicked and flailed my arms. Then after that I grew exhausted and just stood there, as he held my wrist sharply.

"You childish polka-dots girl" he said. "You're an idiot"

Before I could say anything he pulled me to a kiss. I felt his lips lock onto mine and I sank into kiss as the crowd started whispering again.

Did the other kisses mean anything?

Who cares?

I know this one did.

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"HOTARU-CHAN!" The blonde haired boy yelled and swung the classroom door opened.

"Did you forget that I hate you?" Hotaru said, turning away as he entered the classroom.

"I just wanted to give this to you" Ruka said, and handed her the camera. It had a red ribbon tied to the lens.

Hotaru just looked at it.

"You're not accepting this apology, either?"

Hotaru took out her notebook and started doing the assignment.

"Hotaru…if you won't say anything – can't you at least accept my apology?"

"I can't…I can't accept this"

"WHY?" Ruka yelled, losing his temper.

Hotaru didn't say anything

"Why don't you just run off and find a suitable girlfriend, hmm? I'm kinda busy doing the assignment"

"So that's your answer huh?"

"What?"

"Go find a GIRLFRIEND?"

"Yeah. It seems so"

"I CAN'T YOU STUPID, SELF-CENTERED IDIOT!" Ruka yelled.

Hotaru's face looked taken aback. Her eyes watered and she rubbed it and continued doing her assignment.

"IF I'M GOING TO FIND A GIRLFRIEND, IT'S GONNA BE YOU DAMMIT"

Hotaru looked at him with teary eyes. "S-stop being cheesy"

"I'm going to be cheesy all I want, Hotaru!"

Before Hotaru could move, Ruka took her by the shoulders and gave her a kiss. Hotaru's eyes widened as she savored the taste of his lips. Her cheeks flushed into an embarrassed scarlet as she closed her eyes and dropped her pen. Ruka opened his eyes and smiled into the kiss.

Yeah. He could be cheesy all he wanted.

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**One Year Later**

"Ohayo, jii-chan!" I said kissing my grandpa on the cheek. "How were you this morning?" I said, putting my palm on his forehead to check if he had a fever.

"Fine" grandpa said flatly and gave me my tea.

I gulped it down and grabbed my backpack. "I have to go grandpa! There's an exam today, you know! And I don't want to fail it!" I said, and took a piece of bread and chugged it down my mouth. I put on my shoes and ran out the door.

Hi. I'm Mikan Sakura. I'm a junior at Junkuji High School. My favorite sitcom is "Dancing With Dalmatians". Of course, I'm not obsessed with anyone there. I still keep My Favorite Loser in my favorites though. Although I already ditched the Ruka replicas and stuff…

My friends from MFL Krissy Hanawari and Yuuka are now going out. They sent me a picture through their email saying that they're much in love and are now an official couple. They also made it to "Tokyo's Hottest Couples".

It turned out that the imposter who shoplifted and forced me to go back to Nagoya was some pig-tailed man who tried to impersonate me so that he won't go to jail. I wonder what made him pick me of all the people…it must be the fact that there are lots and lots of pig-tailed wigs. But I thank him, I certainly LOVE Nagoya much better than Tokyo.

"OHAYO!" I said, running into the classroom.

"Ohayo, Mikan!" Nonoko and Anna said, removing their headphones from their ears. "We were just listening to Kaito Hyuuga's latest album!" they said in unison and showed me a Kaito CD.

"Sumire-chan is bringing her Ipod today so we can listen to Kaito's songs from when he wasn't solo yet. Isn't that great? You want us to show you some of our pictures of Kaito? He's such a dream…"

Yeah. Nonoko, Anna and Sumire have switched from Natsume fans to Kaito fans. Now they have a Kaito fan club and threw the Natsume scrapbook and are currently making a new scrapbook…about Kaito. Should I tell them that he's a defrosted chicken freak? Hmmm… nah!

"Ohayo, Hotaru-chan!" I said, greeting my BEST FRIEND FOREVER who entered the classroom.

"Get away from me, you freak" she said coldly.

"GUESS WHO!" someone said, covering Hotaru's eyes. Hotaru removed those two hands and grunted.

"Don't play those stupid childish games with me, **Ruka**" she said and rolled her eyes.

"Ohayo, Natsume-kun!" I said, greeting the raven haired boy by giving him a hug. He ignored me and walked to his table.

"Do I have to put up with you everyday?" he said, rolling his eyes.

"Yeah! Pretty much!!"

"LOSER" Natsume said.

"Yeah…but I know I'm your favorite loser!" I said, grinning.

Natsume didn't say anything.

You're probably asking why these two celebrities are in my classroom acting as if it's a normal thing. Natsume and Ruka moved back in with their families, deciding that they want to lead a normal high school life. My Favorite Loser now is in something like a hiatus and Natsume and Ruka promised to return after college, but only for a few years. Because they want to pursue different careers…that don't involve acting.

And how about Kaito? Well…he checks in and out of the mental hospital (but Anna, Nonoko and Sumire don't know because only Natsume knows and he told me) but still writes songs. But of course, he's still obsessed with defrosted chicken.

"Hey, you guys want to watch a movie later?" Ruka said, giving us a paper that had the movie schedule on it.

"Sure! Let's watch romance"

"No. I want horror" Hotaru said darkly.

"Action, you morons" Natsume said.

"NO! I WANT ROMANCE!" I yelled, attempting to hit Natsume with a book. He skillfully dodged it (I can never hit him right) and put down the book I was holding.

Can you picture it, dear reader?

Living with the one you used to hate but now love…

Living with the one you used to love but now just consider him as a friend…

Living with the one who hated My Favorite Loser in the first place but ended up loving the one I loved before…

Life is just so perfect!

Remember, dear reader…

When you join a contest…

Make sure there are two hot guys in it!

Because things don't turn out the way as usually planned you know?

But it's okay…

I love the way life goes.

It's such a sitcom.

_**Fin **_

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**Author's Note**

AND THAT'S THE END!! Hope you enjoyed the story from the first word to the last. I love you all, guys!! Thanks for supporting this fan fic by reviewing it! THANK YOU TO THE PEOPLE WHO REVIEWED CHAPTER 1, 2, 3, 4,5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20 and 21!!!!!! I'm grateful that I have you, dear readers and reviewers. Because My Favorite Loser couldn't have been My Favorite Loser with you guys!!!! Thanks again and see you soon!!

**Kaito: **Let me out of this psych ward!!!! I need my defrosted chicken!!!!


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